For The Girl
by LadyDarkwind
Summary: Kylo Ren has been haunted by the same dream since he was a child; his uncle had always told him that it was a premonition. He is unaware that Rey, the insignificant little scavenger girl, has begun to have the same dream. Then, a sudden and unexpected choice has Kylo Ren turning against the First Order, and a dark, menacing figure lurks in the background, threatening their futures.
1. Chapter 1

_Rain dripped out of his hair and into his already soaked robes, but he didn't notice. He looked down into a ruined, female face. **Her** face. Her blank, staring eyes seemed to bore a hole into his skull, asking only one question : "Why?" He felt the heartbroken, soul-rending, bone-shaking sobs rip through him as he mourned his loss. He looked up at the girl standing only a short distance away, with her double-bladed saber-staff, still lit. Though her saber-staff glowed a bright, vivid violet, he could not clearly see her face through the rain, but he knew it was her. Of **course** it was her. He screamed through the rain, as his voice cracked with his grief, "Why did it have to be her?" Though he could not hear the girl over the rain, he knew she was sobbing; sharing his pain with him. She fell to her knees as she shut off her saber-staff, shaking her head. He looked past the girl to the field of bodies; Stormtroopers and Resistance Fighters lay slain, side-by-side, and their blood mingled together in the rivers of rain. And somehow, he knew **she** had done this. **She** had caused all of this devastation; **she** had started it all. As he looked back down into the ruined female face in his lap, he knew. **He** had done this. Of **course** he had. The girl pushed her thoughts toward him, and he heard her say, "I'm so sorry, Ben"..._

Kylo Ren sat bolt upright in his cot, chest heaving. His heart felt like it would pound through his rib cage _That dream, again,_ he thought. He hadn't had that dream since...he viciously pushed that thought away; he couldn't let Snoke catch him thinking about such things now. And besides; the tortured face from his dream had been dead for a long time. And that girl had been there. That... _scavenger_. His lip curled at the thought. He couldn't stand the thought of that girl; and yet, he couldn't get her out of his head.

He shook his head to clear it. Kylo threw his legs over the side of his cot, and winced a little as his bare feet touched the cold, metal ground. He stalked across his sparse quarters to look at his reflection in the mirror that stood ceiling-to-floor across the room from his bed. He wore nothing but tightly-fitted underwear that came only to mid-thigh. With so much of his skin bare, he took stock of his latticework of scars, being ever so careful to avoid looking at his face. Standing out against his pale skin and well-toned muscles, there were many puckered, angry-looking scars. One who knew what to look for would know that they were light-saber scars; they were the product of his training as a Knight of Ren. Nearly against his will, his eyes were drawn upwards to his face, where the incessant reminder of the scavenger girl was splayed across his face.

Sighing, Kylo began to pull on his pitch-black trousers, tunic, boots, gloves, and robes. Still in only his trousers and boots, there came a beep at his door. Scowling, he stomped over to the door and waved his hand to open it with the Force. On the other side stood a Stormtrooper, who was shaking with terror; very few had ever seen Kylo Ren without his mask. Even fewer lived to tell the tale. Kylo's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the much shorter man.

"Well," he growled? "Why are you disturbing me at this unholy hour?" He could feel his temper rising. He despised being seen without his mask; and then there was the added insult of a lowly Stormtrooper daring to disturb him in his private quarters.

The Stormtrooper trembled with fear; "General Hux has demanded your presence, sir." The Stormtrooper looked down at his feet after he had finished speaking.

Kylo Ren's face flushed with fury as his eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth turned down in a frown. "General Hux 'demands' my presence?" The Stormtrooper took a couple of stumbling steps backwards when he heard the tone the Master of the Knights of Ren was using. "He 'demands' it!?" Kylo thrust his hand out, and the Stormtrooper was lifted off of the ground by his throat, his feet scrabbling uselessly for purchase, while a terrible choking, gurgling sound emanated from his throat. There was a sudden crunching sound as the Stormtrooper fell to the floor, his trachea crushed. "How dare Hux 'demand' anything of me," Kylo rumbled to himself.

Kylo stepped back into his quarters and let the doors close. He quickly finished putting on the remainder of his robes, picked up his helmet and placed it on his head. As it slid shut over his face, he turned to his grandfather's burned and crumpled helmet. Once his helmet was safely secured, he bowed and said a short prayer to Darth Vader; "Show me the way, Grandfather. I need your guidance through the Dark."

Kylo straightened his tunic and stormed out of his quarters, stepping carelessly over the corpse of the unfortunate Stormtrooper. As he stalked through the halls of Du'Tang Station, Stormtroopers and First Order military personnel alike parted before him. They could instinctively sense that he was in a foul mood, and to delay him would be to sign their own death warrants. At long last, Kylo reached the command center, deep in the heart of Du'Tang Station. General Hux turned as the doors opened; his lip curled in an arrogant sneer when he saw that it was Kylo Ren who had entered. Beneath his mask, Kylo raised an eyebrow in distaste. He had always thought that Hux resembled nothing more than a ginger ferret.

"At long last, the mighty Kylo Ren has decided to grace us with his dark and ever-impressive presence," sneered Hux, enjoying his new-found power. Ever since the disaster at Starkiller Base, Kylo Ren had found his power and authority somewhat lessened. He now answered directly to Hux; a fact which disgusted him entirely. He thought himself entirely above the spineless, slimy little sewer rat. "New orders have arrived. You are to take a small contingent of Knights down to the surface of Yavin 4, and destroy what Resistance Fighters you find there."

Kylo grimaced under his mask, and took three long strides towards Hux so that Kylo was standing directly in front of him, and leaned down to look the man in the eye. "And who are you to give me orders," Kylo asked quietly and menacingly?

"You know from whom my orders come," Hux replied, flushing.

"Ah, yes. Supreme Leader Snoke. You think I fear him," mocked Kylo?

"No. But I think you fear Snoke's master. It is from him that your orders come. _He_ thought you might need a bit more...urging after the disaster on Starkiller. The way you let that girl go; one might think you'd gone soft" Hux licked his bottom lip and his eyes glittered menacingly as he rose to the tips of his toes, and leaned in to Kylo's mask. It irritated Hux that the Master of the Knights of Ren was so much taller than him; it wounded his pride.

Kylo straightened in surprise and indignation. "Very well. If my Master's Master desires that I go down to Yavin 4, I will go. Phasma" he snapped! "Prepare my shuttle."

"Yes, sir," replied Captain Phasma, snapping a sharp salute. She was not fool enough to test Kylo Ren's temper. Perhaps that is why she had survived serving with him for so long.

Secretly, Kylo Ren was pleased with his new orders. He cared little for the Resistance fools that thought themselves so clever as to hide on Yavin 4. Personally, he thought it predictable; which is probably why the Resistance thought it was so very clever. After all, who would think to look for them in an old, abandoned, Rebel Alliance base? The Resistance mattered to him little. As he stalked to his shuttle, he smiled widely under his mask. He was so giddy he could nearly have laughed. _She_ was on Yavin 4. The girl; the little desert rat that had defied him on Starkiller. The little scavenger who dared call herself the next Jedi. Finally, Kylo Ren would get an answer as to why she was lodged so firmly in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

_She stood in the midst of the aftermath of a terrible battle, where Stormtroopers and Resistance Fighters lay, one atop another. It was nearly as though they had died brothers. Rain poured over her shoulders and into her robes as she stood, double-bladed saber-staff still glowing a bright, vivid violet. There was someone kneeling across from her; he was in terrible pain. She could feel his pain, rippling through her like liquefied metal. She could not see his face through the rain, but she knew it was him. She saw that he was kneeling in the mud, holding the body of what appeared to be a woman, and he was obviously sobbing. Somehow, she knew that they had done this;_ _ **together**_ _. Of course they had;_ _ **she**_ _had given them no choice, in the end. As she looked across at him, she could tell that he was sobbing; she felt her own tears streaming down her face in response. His pain was her pain, as it ever was. She fell to her knees as she disengaged her saber-staff. Wracking sobs ripped through her chest, and it felt as though his heart would be torn in two, between following_ _ **her**_ _, the dead one, into the Force, and staying here with her, as she wished him to. Faintly over the storm, she heard him scream, "Why did it have to be her?" As his voice cracked with sorrow, she shook her head, having no answer to give him. As he looked down at the body in his lap, she reached through the Force to his mind, and thought, "I'm so sorry, Ben"..._

Rey sat suddenly upright on her pallet, disoriented, with a ragged scream tearing through her chest. Where was she? It was sunny; but there had been such a storm. She heard movement beside her, and she glanced to see Master Luke watching her carefully. There was such sadness in his gaze, and she knew he had seen what she had dreamed.

"What was that," she choked?

"Something I have seen before, young Padawan," replied Luke.

"What do you mean," she began, but he was already shaking his head.

 _I will give you no answers today. You must find them for yourself,_ came his thought into her mind.

"Yes, Master," Rey replied. She stood, stretching out the kinks that inevitably came with sleeping on a hard stone floor. She had been on Ach-To for nearly six months, now. Her training had come quite far from her first few weeks on the island she shared with her Master, but somehow, she felt her time here was coming to a close.

As though he'd been monitoring her thoughts ( _which he probably was_ , Rey thought sardonically), Luke nodded. "Our time here grows short, young Padawan. I had wondered if you would not have this particular dream eventually. Now it seems that your fate begins to reveal itself, both to you, and to myself. Though your vision reveals more questions than it does answers," Master Luke finished, as though to himself. His pale blue eyes re-focused on Rey. "We must go to Yavin 4," he said, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Rey's brow crumpled in confusion, "Of course, Master, but why?" Luke's only response was to raise an eyebrow at her, and stand, shaking his head and chuckling. Rey felt instantly chastised, though her kindly Master had not done so verbally. "My apologies, Master. I'll go down to the _Falcon_ and tell Chewie to make her ready for departure. Luke smiled at her as she rose to her feet and tossed her few belongings into the small pack that she had brought with her.

Some time later, Luke, Chewbacca, R-2 D-2, and Rey were on their way from Ach-To to Yavin 4. It was odd, having her Master on the ship she had inherited from Han Solo. She knew he must have memories on every inch of the vessel, but she did not mention it. She remembered that when she had first arrived on Ach-To, Luke had already seemed to know what had happened. He had glanced down at the light-saber she had held pleadingly out to him, and said quietly to himself, "I have been too long away."

As Rey returned to the lounge area of the _Falcon_ from the cockpit, where she had been inputting the math for the jump to hyperspace, Luke turned to face her. "My own training began in this very room," he said with a small smile. "Master Obi-Wan was very wise not to tell me everything, as I have withheld information from you. I have something for you, Padawan." From within the folds of his robe, he took a large crystal that pulsed with the energy of the Force, which he held out to Rey. "This is a gift for you to craft your own light-saber. I found it years ago, and had contemplated using it myself for a new light-saber, but it just never felt right. I held on to it, though; I was never fully sure why. Now, though, I am certain that it was destined for you," he finished with a proud smile.

Master Luke was right; from the crystal, there came a quiet, pulsing call. It was quiet, but impossible to ignore, like a dripping faucet. Rey reached out a trembling hand and took the shimmering crystal. "Thank you, Master," she managed to say. Luke raised his cybernetic hand to forestall any more stammering thanks, and chuckled.

"Sit with me," he said, "and we shall begin crafting your first light-saber. Since we are missing many parts for the hilt, I think it would be a good idea for you to re-purpose your staff that you already have. It would make a fine saber-staff. Rey looked up sharply at the reminder of her vision. It had unsettled her more than she was willing to admit. Why would she ever feel any kind of sympathy for Kylo Ren? She was certain it had been he who was kneeling over the dead body in her vision. Sensing the direction her thoughts had taken, Luke cleared his throat gently. Rey's eyes shot back to Luke's, and she flushed in embarrassment.

"My apologies, Master."

"Shall we begin? The first step is for you to infuse your crystal with Force energy. This may take many days of meditation. After that, you must craft your hilt, and place your crystal, or in your case, _all four_ of your crystals, in the hilt, each in their respective crystal chambers. Each light-saber says a great deal about it's maker. Are you ready to begin?" At Rey's curt nod, Luke continued; "Very well. Center and ground yourself. Feel the lower half of your body sink into the floor, and your head float towards the ceiling." As he finished speaking, he felt his Padawan join with the Force. _Well, she'll be out-of-reach for a while,_ he thought. _Might as well get some rest._ Before Luke retired to his quarters, he laid out some food and water for Rey, remembering how famished he had been after creating his first light-saber.

A few days later, Luke came out from the cockpit, where he had been checking their progress to Yavin 4, to find that Rey had finished her meditation, and was well into the crafting of her hilt. He noted with pleasure and pride that she had decided to take his advice to make a saber-staff. He was surprised to see that her crystals had turned a startlingly vivid shade of violet. He nodded to himself; this spoke to the girl's wisdom. _Good; she would do well,_ he thought.

With a few final clicks, Rey set her crystals into their respective chambers, and stood slowly, stretching out her numerous kinks. "Thank you for the food, Master. That was very kind of you."

"Not at all, Rey. I remember my first crafting. We are nearling Yavin 4. We should come our of hyperspace at any moment." Even as he spoke, they felt the ship drop into normal space. "See? What did I say?" Luke chuckled at himself. He and Rey hurried to the cockpit, where Chewie was already waiting for them. Rey wasted no time in bringing the _Falcon_ in to land, and within 30 minutes, they were striding through the old, abandoned Rebel base of Yavin 4.

As they came to the briefing room, the crowds of Resistance Fighters began to part before them, staring, wide-eyed, as Luke Skywalker, stuff of legend, joined their ranks. They heard a stunned cry of "Luke!", which was all the warning they received before Leia rushed into her brother's arms. There was a great deal of noise and laughter (and no small number of tears) as the twins were finally reunited. To give them some privacy, Rey looked anxiously for her friends, Finn and Poe. Finally, she saw them leaning against a wall, watching her with unveiled amusement in their eyes.

"There's the galaxy's next Jedi!", shouted Poe. Rey flushed and rolled her eyes at him, laughing as she hugged first one, then the other. "Seriously, though. It's good to see you. You look great."

Suddenly, over the intercom, there came an announcement: _Shuttles are approaching the planet. They are clearly marked as First Order vessels, and do not respond to our hails. Prepare for attack._ Even as the announcement crackled off, Rey could hear the whine of engines entering the atmosphere. Reunions would have to wait, it seemed. As Rey began to run in the direction that most of the Resistance Fighters were moving, she stopped dead. She suddenly sensed something. A terrible presence that she had not felt since Starkiller Base was destroyed. As Stormtroopers filed into the base, she saw the unmistakable figure of Kylo Ren come stalking off of his shuttle, with a half-dozen of his Knights of Ren. He froze at the base of the boarding ramp, and looked directly at her. He cocked his head, as though surprised that she was here. She lit her saber-staff as he turned towards her with his Knights. _So, here you are,_ she heard. _At long last, little desert rat._


	3. Chapter 3

***Author's Note***

Hello, hello! This is my first-ever fanfic, so I hope you're enjoying it so far. I've never published on here before, so it took me a little while to figure out how to add an author's note! hahaha. Anywho, I hope you're liking the story; if you have any constructive criticism, I'd be more than happy to hear it. Well, enjoy!

* * *

Rey had stopped so suddenly that Poe and Finn nearly ran into her. "What's wrong?" asked Finn.

"He's here," Rey said quietly. "Run, you two. Run! Get out of here! Go!" Rey glanced quickly around for Luke, and found him standing between a group of Resistance Fighters and a contingent of Stormptroopers, using his light-saber to deflect blaster fire so the Resistance could get to their shuttles. Rey knew Luke would not reach her in time. Kylo Ren and his Knights approached her in a wedge formation, all of them activating their light-sabers simultaneously. Rey, standing alone, lit her saber-staff and twirled it defiantly, while keeping her eyes locked on Kylo Ren.

The Knights moved as one toward Rey, as the edges of the wedge moved outwards to surround Rey. As one, they sprung at Rey, hacking and slashing, each getting their turn to cross blades with Rey, but none getting in the others' way. In a small corner of her mind, Rey had to admire the liquidity of their movement. She was constantly on the defensive, and soon realized that her saber skills were not up to scratch when compared to the deadly knights. The most deadly of these was Kylo Ren; it was immediately apparent, and it was terrifying.

Though Rey was outnumbered seven-to-one, she somehow managed to fend off the attacks. With every blocked blow, Kylo Ren grew more and more frustrated, until Rey could feel his fury rolling off of him in waves. Overhead, Rey heard a smaller shuttle come in to land. Around her, Kylo Ren and his Knights suddenly froze, unable to move. Rey paused, confused. As one, Kylo Ren and his Knights turned toward the new shuttle and knelt to the ground. Kylo Ren was the only one who seemed allowed to speak.

"Master Ren," he said, with a slight tremor in his voice. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

The mysterious Master Ren came fully into Rey's view. He was massive. Easily as tall as Kylo Ren, but somehow, he seemed to fill the hangar, though he was only one man. A great and terrible power surged from him, shaking Rey to her core. How could one fight such power? Rey felt her hands begin to shake. Finally, Ren spoke; his voice was impossibly deep, but whether that was an affectation of the helmet he wore, or his real voice, Rey could not tell. "I hope you were not planning to kill the girl without an audience, Kylo Ren. I wanted to ensure that you would succeed this time."

"Of course, Master," Kylo Ren responded.

With no warning, Ren raised his hand and sent Kylo Ren flying across the hangar. He landed hard, and did not get up."Are you questioning my orders?" Ren seemed to glide over to Kylo Ren; he stared down at the Knight, lying on the ground, and _kicked_ him, hard, in the ribs. Rey heard at least one crack; she felt Kylo Ren's pain through the force. "Forgive me, Master. I...will not question you again," Kylo Ren stuttered.

"Kill the girl. Do not fail me again."

Kylo definitely hesitated this time, "Yes...Master." Kylo stood and turned toward Rey again. He spun his saber, and Rey instinctively mirrored his stance. Kylo seemed eager before his Master stepped in, but now...he was more hesitant; like he was afraid to hurt Rey. Yes, she definitely sensed hesitation coming from him. And yet, his attacks grew with ferocity and speed. It seemed that his fear of his Master overpowered whatever curiosity he felt towards her.

"Stop," came Luke's calm voice from the sidelines. A small-level Force blast shoved Rey and Kylo apart. "So. This is the mysterious Master Ren that I have heard so many rumors about. It is good to finally meet you." Master Luke raised his eyebrow sardonically, and bowed in Ren's direction.

Ren stiffened; "It seems that you know too much already." Ren looked between Kylo, Rey, and Luke; "It seems that I will not have the pleasure of watching the scavenger die after all. Kill her, Kylo Ren. Or do not bother to return, for it will mean your demise." With that, Ren turned on his heel and boarded his shuttle.

"Well. That was...brief," Luke said sarcastically. "It would seem you and I have old business to finish, my old Padawan." Luke pushed his thoughts towards Rey, _Run, Rey, RUN!_

Rey turned on her heel and ran out of the hangar, heading for the dense rain forest that surrounded the base. "After her! The girl is **mine!** " Kylo Ren screamed at his Knights. Without hesitation, they streamed out of the hangar after her.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Ben. You could come home. Your mother misses you."

Kylo sneered at his once-beloved Uncle. "It's too late for that now. And you know it."

"If that is the way you want it to be, Ben." Replied Luke.

"That is the way it _must_ be," countered Kylo Ren, as he lit his light-saber.

Kylo sprung at Luke with a scream of feral rage. As Kylo's saber came down, sparking fitfully, Luke calmly brought his saber up to block. Kylo growled and swung again, this time from the side. Again, his Uncle calmly blocked him. Time and time again, Kylo swung and met resistance. Finally, Kylo feinted a vicious downward slash, knowing Luke would easily counter, and brought his left hand up to aim a powerful Force Push at Luke's gut. _Predictable, as ever, Padawan,_ Luke thought sadly, as he bought his own left hand up to counter the Force Push with a stronger one of his own. Kylo shouted out in surprised and dismay as he felt himself launched into the air and thrown backwards into a wall, where he slumped, unconscious.

Luke stood gazing at his nephew for a long moment, and then returned to the _Falcon_ , shaking his head sadly. He knew Rey would need him. But first, he had matters to attend to; someone needed to contact Leia and make sure she knew all was well; not to mention take control of what troops had survived, and take stock of what resources they did have remaining. _Hold our for a few hours, Rey. I'll come find you, I promise._

Poe and Finn, Rey's dearest friends, came running up to Luke, each demanding information about her. Luke held up his hands to forestall the cacophony; "She will be fine. She can handle herself for a few hours." Poe and Finn were outraged at Luke's calm demeanor, and assertion that Rey would be fine, but Luke would not be swayed. "Trust me," was all he would say on the matter. Sensing defeat, they wished their friend the best and took off in the _Falcon_ to regroup with the other Resistance Fighters on the other side of Yavin 4, where a second, smaller, and more secret base had been set up to divert the attention of the First Order. _Please, take care of yourself, Rey. It may well be a long night._

Rey stumbled as her foot caught in an overgrown root. She couldn't afford to fall; not when she could hear the heavy boots of the Knights of Ren just behind her. She got up, wincing as she forced her poor, aching limbs to keep moving as fast as she could. Blood streamed down her arms and legs from wounds she had acquired during her previous fight with these unsavory characters. _There is no pain, there is only serenity. There is no emotion, there is only peace._ Time and again she recited the mantra and used the Force to cleanse her body of pain, but it was no use. Rey was weakening. She knew the time was coming to stand and fight.

At last, the opportunity presented itself; a clearing, where she may at least be able to have enough room to maneuver he saber-staff. She put on a burst of speed, arriving well ahead of the Knights. She skidded to a stop, and turned, breathing deeply to slow her pulse and at least appear calm. They must have sensed her halt, because when they came, they came slowly, like something out of nightmares. They were the monster that knew their prey was hopeless and could not escape. She lit her saber-staff and snarled in defiance. There was scattered laughter as they advanced on her. She could sense their thoughts; they thought themselves unbeatable. Rey used this to her advantage; as they lunged at her, and each hacked, swung, and stabbed with his own rhythm. She maneuvered them closer to one another, and finally managed to tangle their light-sabers up together. With two quick slashes of her saber-staff, she dispatched one of the Knights. He sank slowly to his knees as he stared in shock at his own insides leaking out of the seam Rey had created.

Enraged at the death of their comrade, the remaining Knights redoubled their efforts. Under their onslaught, Rey suffered many wounds; some minor, some assuredly not. First there was the slash at her left shoulder; then another at her right; as the pain set in, more and more set in, until one final slash from her left hip to her right shoulder sent her to her knees. One of the Knights raised his hand and sent her flying, end-over-end, into a massive boulder. She hit the boulder with a sickening crunch, and slid down to the mossy floor. The last thing Rey heard before she blacked out was an enraged roar and the angry hiss of an engaged light-saber.

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***Author's Note***

I know, I know; the first few chapters have been super plot-heavy. I'm sorry, but I swear, it's necessary. Just a little more plot to get through, and then the lemon-y goodness will begin! I promise! Let me know what you've thought so far. ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

***Author's Note***

Okay; last plot-heavy chapter, I swear. I wouldn't do this to you unless it was important, but I swear that every single thing that happens in this chapter is massively important to the storyline.

* * *

" _Get up, sleepyhead. You're going to miss everything. Wake up, Ben." Rey leaned in close and laid her lips first on his forehead, then on the scar she was responsible for, then gently on his lips. Ben smiled as she kissed him._

 _"_ _You know it drives me crazy when you do that," he complained, laughing._

 _"_ _I know. That's why I do it," she replied, grinning mischievously. Ben groaned as he seized Rey around the waist and flipped her onto her back, nuzzling her neck._

Kylo Ren woke with a start. He was slumped against a wall, covered in dust. Kylo stood gingerly, testing the severity of his injuries. _Not too bad,_ he concluded, as he stretched. _The old man could have hurt me far worse, if he'd wanted to._ Which begged the question; _why_ had Luke let him walk away with so few injuries? It was an insult to his power; that's what it was. Kylo Ren felt his rage bubbling up inside of him. How _dare_ Luke Skywalker mock the Master of the Knights of Ren!?

"Well. That went well, don't you think, Kid?"

Kylo Ren froze. He knew that voice. That was a voice he'd heard every day since he'd been born. At least, until Kylo Ren had begun his training. He shivered as he removed himself from that thought. _It can't be_ , he thought. _You're dead._

"Yeah, that's what they tell me, Kid. Dead and gone. So, ask yourself: why am I here?"

At last, Kylo turned to see the spirit of his father, Han Solo, standing before him. "You must be here because you think you have some kind of sage advice for me, now that you're dead."

Han Solo watched his son in silence for a moment, a great sadness emanating from his opaque form. He half-smiled, "Well, maybe I do." Han chuckled; "Who would have thought? Me, joined with the Force? I would have said you were nuts. Well, I've got to admit; it's not the craziest thing I've ever done. Anyway, enough about my afterlife. What about you? What's troubling you?"

Kylo Ren stared in shock at his father's spirit, wondering if he'd gone mad. "The girl," Kylo replied, "why can't I kill her?"

Han smiled and shook his head slowly. _"_ Ben. You're asking the wrong questions. The first question you should ask is: Do you want to kill the girl?"

Kylo Ren's eyes narrowed under his mask. Did he want the girl dead? He searched his feelings, and to his astonishment, found himself shaking his head in the negative. Apparently, he did not want the girl dead.

Han nodded in satisfaction. "So; what is it that you **do** want? Don't forget; I'm part of the Force now. You can't lie to me _."_ Han's eyes sparkle with humor, even though he is only a spirit. Kylo Ren finds himself revisiting some of the dreams he's been having lately.

 _Rey was sleeping soundly beside him as Ben sat up in bed. She stirred, and he glanced sheepishly at her. "Sorry," he heard himself saying. "I didn't mean to wake you."_

 _Rey smiled sleepily, "Don't worry about it. I'd rather be awake, if you are." She sat up, and Ben leaned slowly in to kiss her. At first, it was not anything terribly serious; just another good morning kiss, then Rey shifted to deepen the kiss. Her tongue wrestled with his, and he tasted her sweetness on his lips. He lowered himself so suckle on her bare nipple, chuckling slightly as her back arched to allow him better purchase._

Kylo Ren snapped suddenly back to the present. "No," he admitted shakily, "I don't want her dead. I want her for myself," he added in astonishment. "So, what do I do now?" he asked his father.

Han laughed, like his son was missing something obvious. "You go after her of course. Honestly, what sort of almost-prince are you?"

Kylo Ren scowled in response and turned in the direction which the girl had fled. He stretched out his hand to sense where the girl had gone. What Kylo found stilled his blood, and froze him to the marrow. His Knights had already found her, and were engaged in battle with her. _No,_ he thought frantically.

Kylo's feet pounded into the soft ground beneath him as he raced through the rain forest to find his scavenger. He was uncertain of what he was doing, or what he would do when he reached her, but he didn't care. All Kylo cared about was the thought of Rey laying motionless on the forest floor, and never seeing her defiant glare again. No; he could not allow it. Kylo Ren fed the Force into his movements in order to grant himself more speed. As Kylo sped towards the girl's Force signature, he felt it waver; she was in pain. _No,_ he thought. _This will not happen!_

Finally, he sensed she was near; but something was wrong. She had stopped. She intended to die, rather than be taken alive. His heart stilled in fear. This was insane. He hardly knew the girl; and, yet. He knew that if she died, any chance he had for happiness, for redemption, was gone. Finally, he sensed she was just ahead. He skidded to a halt as he heard a distinctively feminine screech of pain. He halted just in time to see one of his Knights slash her viciously from her left hip to her right shoulder, and then wave his arm carelessly to send her catapulting into a massive boulder.

Kylo Ren roared with rage when he heard a sickening crunch as Rey smashed into the boulder. Kylo lit his light-saber against his own Knights; "Who was it that misunderstood my instructions? I said the girl is **mine**!" As his Knights turned to him, Kylo realized that he no longer cared. His Knights could turn on him if they wished. As long as the girl survived, it was enough. Kylo Ren closed his eyes to savor the final vision he had seen of his morning with Rey, knowing it would never be. Accepting his inevitable death, Kylo charged at the five remaining Knights. With one quick block, a slash, a roll, and another slash, Kylo quickly dispatched two more of his Knights.

Enraged, the three remaining Knights closed in on Kylo. He had trained them himself, so he knew what moves they would make. Still, they were surprising; one lunged at his knees as another lunged at his gut. Kylo Force jumped over the two Knights, intending to take them from behind. Instead, he found himself instinctively throwing up his left arm to defend from the attack that came the moment he landed. With a scream of pain, Kylo felt the light-saber come down on his left arm, severing it just below the elbow. As blood gushed from the new wound, Kylo rammed his light-saber into the offending Knight's heart. The remaining two Knights converged on Kylo. They engaged in a fierce battle with him, during which Kylo suffered many more wounds. Finally, it was Kylo Ren and one remaining Knight. They circled each other like snarling dogs. Finally, the last Knight lunged, and Kylo blocked it neatly. Kylo spun around, bringing his saber up to slash at the spine of his opponent. Thinking the battle won, Kylo turned to nurse his many wounds; however, he heard one final swoosh of a light-saber, and one final blast of blinding pain as his right leg was severed neatly at the knee. Kylo screeched in pain and fell to the sodden ground as his faithful Knight rose over him to administer the final blow. Kylo Ren lurched upwards as best he could, and managed to plunge his light-saber into his opponent's gut. As Kylo yanked his saber from his opponent's corpse, he knew the battle was over for him. Kylo Ren pushed what was left of his energy towards the girl; _at least she will be safe,_ he thought, as he slumped to the ground and knew no more.

* * *

***Author's Note***

I really, really hope you don't hate me. I swear, this was all necessary. I'm so sorry if some of you are mad at me, but I promise it will make sense as the story progresses. There will be heavy angst in the next chapter, and probably a good deal of lemon-y goodness. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

***Author's Note***

Hello, again, my dear readers! I am so touched that this story has had the response it has, thus far. Now, I promised you that there would be lemon-y goodness in this chapter, and I always keep my word...Enjoy!

Rey woke slowly and groggily. At first, she wasn't sure where she was. Then, as she lay on the forest floor, it came to her; she rolled dizzily to her feet, looking for the Knights, but there were none to be seen. As she stood slowly up, something strange occurred to her. She was _alive_. And, apparently, alone. But, where were the Knights? Rey winced at the wound on her chest, grateful that her back was not broken. But her gratitude was short-lived as she staggered into a tree, head spinning. She clutched to the tree for dear life as she vomited stomach acid; Rey carefully felt the back of her head. To her dismay, she found her hair matted with blood; exploring further, she found a wound where her head had connected with the boulder. If not for the Force, she was sure she would be dead.

Which lead to the second oddity: Where were the Knights? As Rey looked around the clearing, she quickly found the answer. They had all been cut down, and the markings on the bodies were unmistakably those of a light-saber. But Master Luke was nowhere to be found, so who...her breath shuddered out of her. Finally, she saw him, lying there in the muck and the mud. _Kylo Ren?_ Came the incredulous thought. _But why would he..._ _ **save**_ _me?_

Slowly, Rey crept closer to him. Kylo Ren lay motionless on the sodden earth; even his chest was still. She knelt beside his body, looking for any signs of life. She felt at his wrists and neck for a pulse, but she felt nothing. Curiously, she reached towards him with the Force, expecting to feel nothing. But to her astonishment, there was a slight flicker; he was _alive_! Rey had to make a decision, and fast. _Ah, hell,_ she thought, _Much as I'd like to, I can't just leave him here to die._

Rey took stock of his injuries, and realized just how hard he must have fought to save her; his left arm had been severed, just below the elbow, and his right leg, exactly at the knee. She took the hunting knife that she kept, always hidden, in her boot and hobbled over to one of the fallen Knights, cutting off strips of cloth as she went. Now, they weren't exactly clean, but they would have to do for bandages until she could get some shelter up and a fire going. Rey started to remove her own tunic, deciding there was little she could do for Kylo Ren if she were bleeding to death, herself. She quickly bound her wound as best she could, and put her tunic back on. Then, she turned her attentions to Kylo Ren. She reached up to remove his helmet, but could not figure out where the damned buttons were. Rey sighed in frustration, and left the stupid, ugly thing in place. Instead, she pushed as much of his clothing out of the way as she could manage.

First, she wrapped the remainder of his elbow as tightly as she could; she didn't want to cause any more damage than had already been done. Once that was finished, she did the same for his leg. Rey then turned her attention to Kylo Ren's "lesser" wounds; not that any of them were "lesser". She shook her head in amazement; how could a person take such a beating, and still be alive, however faintly? Kylo Ren's chest and back seemed to be in the worst shape, so Rey placed one of her knees on either side of his hips and leaned down to put her arms around his massive shoulders. Rey heaved his impressive mass and wrapped some makeshift bandages around his chest and back. She panted and groaned with the effort. _Damn_ it, he was heavy. Her chest screamed in protest as Rey continued the process, until a layer of bandages covered Kylo's entire torso. She stood to admire her handiwork, and saw the very slightest of shivers ripple his skin. Rey took the cloaks off of the six dead Knights and draped them carefully off of Kylo Ren.

Rey then set about setting up a short-term camp. She dragged the bodies of the Knights into the forest, after stripping them of anything useful. No use drawing large predators into their camp while Rey was sleeping. She then searched the clearing for long sticks and strong vines that she could use to make a basic shelter. Rey lashed together enough large sticks that she could make a sturdy enough lean-to shelter. She fitted together three walls and an overhanging "roof" it wasn't luxurious, but it was large enough for the two of them. Next, Rey gathered together a large number of ferns and laid them about the floor, sides, and roof to keep as much water out as possible. In the open end of the shelter, Rey dug a pit for their fire, and lined it with rocks, making sure that the fire pit was beneath the overhanging "roof". Finally, Rey gathered enough fallen branches to last through the night. She looked around sheepishly, then used the Force to _will_ the wood dry. Lighting her saber-staff, Rey carefully drove one end of the saber into the pile of kindling, just long enough for the wood to catch. Satisfied, Rey stumped over to Kylo Ren's still-motionless form and dragged him under the shelter, trying desperately not to hurt him any further.

At this point, Rey was exhausted. She glanced at Kylo Ren, and found that his breathing had improved, slightly. Well, at least she could see his chest (barely) moving now. She knew she had to give him what warmth she could, so she crawled under the pile of cloaks, placed her right arm over his chest, and her head on his shoulder. Rey was asleep in moments.

Kylo Ren was floating. At least, that's what it felt like. There was such peace; if this was what death felt like, he didn't mind in the slightest. There was a light; sort of reddish, in the distance. Just a pinprick, really, but Kylo Ren found himself being drawn to it. It was very warm, this light. Quite pleasant; so pleasant, in fact that it took a moment for him to notice the dull burning sensation that came from his right leg and left arm. _No,_ he thought, _stop it. I don't like it._ The closer he got to the warm, reddish glow, the burning grew more evident. _Please, someone stop the burning. I'm on fire! Can't you see I'm on fire? Oh, it's spreading!_ _ **Someone stop the burning!**_

Kylo Ren's eyes snapped open, and a scream erupted from his lips. He saw someone come rushing over to him, and begin to dab some sort of mixture onto his body. He struggled at first, but then the burning sensation began to abate. As his thrashing stilled and his vision cleared, Kylo Ren realized with astonishment just who it was that was tending him. It was the girl! His scavenger was here, with him. Kylo Ren tried to sit up, but Rey pushed him back down.

"You must lay still, or you'll tear open your wounds. I've only just gotten them to stay closed, so I would take it as a kindness if you didn't undo my handy work," the girl said testily. Rey stood and walked over to a large fire, where she seemed to be preparing a stew of some kind.

"Why are you here?" Kylo Ren asked, startled when he realized his helmet was still on. _No wonder I can't breathe_ , he thought.

Rey looked down and shuffled her feet. "I couldn't figure out how to get the helmet off, and you didn't have a lot of time. If you tell me how, I can remove it. If you'd like," Rey added hastily.

Kylo Ren nodded. "If you look at the base, along the jawline, there are indentations. Pres these gently, and the mask will slide open. After that, it's easy to slide off."

Rey nodded and leaned close. She was so close that Kylo could feel the press of Rey's breasts against his chest. His breath constricted in his lungs, and his trousers tightened embarrassingly. _Oh, not now,_ he thought. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Rey's clever fingers found the grooves and pressed. The mask slid apart, and Rey carefully lifted the helmet off of Kylo's head.

"Is that better?"

Kylo nodded. "Yes; thank you. It was getting difficult to breath in there."

Rey stood and limped over to the fire. Kylo frowned; Rey was in obvious pain, but she was taking care of _him_. _It should be the other way around_ , he thought in irritation.

"Here," Rey was walking back to Kylo with some sort of bowl. "I know it's not fancy, but I made the bowl myself, out of a piece of that boulder over there. I had to use your light-saber; I hope you don't mind. It's not pretty, but it works. Let me help you sit up." Rey started to reach for him, but Kylo shook his head.

"I can manage," he said stubbornly.

 _Like father, like son,_ Rey thought. "Look, I really don't think that's a good idea." But Kylo was already pressing the remains of his left arm into the ground. Kylo Ren was always pale, but now his face looked as though it were made of wax. Rey lunged towards him and helped him struggle upright, leaning his back against her chest. "I warned you," she said sympathetically.

Kylo looked down at his left side. It looked...strange. Come to think of it, so did his right side. The makeshift blankets were lying oddly flat where his right leg should be; suddenly, the memory came flooding back: the woosh and snap of a light-saber hitting its mark, the stench of burning flesh and boiling blood, and the dull _thud_ of something hitting the ground. "Oh," he said weakly, "that's right."

Against her better judgment, Rey felt compassion for the man stirring in her heart. "I'm sorry you were so badly hurt. I'm quite grateful, really I am," she mumbled into Kylo's hair.

Kylo looked back at her, stunned. "You're welcome," he replied after a long, uncomfortable pause.

"I'm going to help you eat, now, Kylo Ren," Rey said softly. Kylo blanched at the sound of his name. "What's the matter? Is it your arm?"

"No, it's that...name. Please; if you don't mind, I'd rather not hear that name, ever again.:"

Rey's expression fell in confusion. "Well, then, what should I call you?"

"You could always use my name; Ben...Ben Solo." Rey stared at him, stunned into silence.

Finally, she smiled softly at him. "Okay, then, Ben. Now, open your mouth." Rey spooned some stew into his mouth, and waited patiently for him to swallow. "Now, not too much. I don't know what you can handle right now, but you have to eat _something_."

"It's good," replied Ben. "What is it?"

"It's some kind of rabbit-like creature that I called to me with the Force. I hated to do it, but I couldn't leave you to hunt, so..." Ben stared at her for a long moment.

"Thank you, Rey; but you didn't have to do that." They didn't speak again until he had finished the bowl of stew.

"Now; lay back down and get some rest, Ky...Ben. Sorry; Ben. Get some sleep."

Now that he thought about it, Ben did feel tired. He obediently laid his head down and closed his eyes. He was instantly asleep.

 _Rey rose over him, her sun-kissed skin shimmering gently in the firelight. This woman was **his** , and Ben never wanted to touch another, ever again. Ben watched as Rey stripped off her dress. Ben reached to remove his own clothing, but Rey stopped him._

 _"Let me," she said flirtatiously. She reached forward and worked the robe off of his shoulders. Rey ran her fingers lightly down his chest, leaving trails of pleasantly tingling goosebumps behind. Rey smiled with sheer mischief as she slid slowly down Ben's chest and legs, lying her face on the inside of his thigh. Ben could already feel his manhood stiffening. Rey took the hem of his trousers in her teeth, and crawled backwards, pulling his trousers off._

 _"Hmm," Rey teased, "that looks uncomfortable. I should probably do something about that." She lowered her face to Ben's hardening member and slowly licked it, from tip to base, and back. She took his manhood into her mouth, and began to draw her head back and forth, so that at times, his manhood was plunged far down Rey's throat, and at others, she had barely the tip in her mouth._

 _When Ben felt that he could stand it no longer, Rey released him, and stood. She positioned herself over him, and slowly lowered herself onto his throbbing member. Ben moaned in ecstasy. Rey rocked her hips, forward and back, until Ben lunged upwards, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Ben's hips worked a furious rhythm and he pounded himself into Rey, relishing each wet sound, and the soft, mewling noises that were coming from her throat. At last, he sensed that she was nearing her climax, and Ben knew he could wait no longer._

 _"Rey, I'm coming!" He plunged himself deep into her tight, wet warmth and felt his seed release into her, even as he felt her tighten around him. Ben rested his cheek against her breasts as he panted for breath._

Ben woke with a start. He looked down at the tiny scavenger girl that was curled against him in sleep. Quietly, and as slowly as he could, Ben took hold of his enormous erection, and began to stroke it. Before long, his breath caught in his chest as he reached his climax. _Well,_ he thought, _this is going to be complicated._

***Author's Note***

See? See? I told you! Lemon-y goodness! Also, you didn't really think I'd kill Kylo Ren, did you? This is a _romance_ , people! hahaha. Hope you liked this chapter! Please leave your honest reactions in the reviews section, along with any constructive criticisms you may have. Thank you so very much for reading, as usual.


	6. Chapter 6

***Author's Note***

Hello, dear readers! I know, I'm slightly behind on my posting today. I'm so sorry, but there was a lot to get through in this chapter. Enter super-angsty Ben Solo! I'm hopefully going to be able to write a good deal more over the weekend. Hope you enjoy!

A few days later, Ben was propped up in their little shelter, with his good hand pressed to his face, with his fingers massaging the bridge of his prominent nose. He had an observation to make, and he knew Rey was not going to like it. Since he had awoken, Ben and Rey had spoken very little, instead focusing on improving Ben's strength. Today, though, Ben was determined that things would be different.

"Rey?" Came Ben's soft voice from the other side of the fire. Rey looked up at the sound of her name, and cocked her head to the side, to indicate that she was listening. "How long have we been here?"

Rey's brow furrowed as she thought her answer over. "We've been here about six days or so by now; why?"

Ben nodded; "That's about what I thought. Well, in that case, we're going to have to leave here."

Rey shook her head. "Master Luke will find me. We need to wait for him."

"I have no doubt that my Uncle will find us, Rey, but right now, we need to find somewhere else to wait. The First Order will have pieced together what I've done by now. They'll be combing the forest for us, and they _will_ find us."

"Snoke probably thinks you're dead by now, Ben." But Rey looked like she was beginning to question if they'd stayed too long already.

Ben stubbornly shook his head, "No. Snoke may be easily fooled, but Master Ren will not. He will know. Somehow, he always knows. I've never been able to hide anything from him. Listen to me, Rey. They _will_ find us; and when they do, we will beg for a slow death before they are through with us. You have no idea what Ren is capable of." Ben shivered at some distant memory. "He is as ruthless and cruel as you think me to be, and more. I've seen him torture children to death. _Children_ , Rey. Not even Force-Sensitive children. Just children that spoke, or laughed when he was in a poor mood. If you think _I_ am volatile, then Ren makes me look like a saint. Please, Rey. Trust me on this; we _have_ to leave. My shuttle isn't that far away; we could make it. They're coming, Rey. I can sense it."

Rey mulled over Ben's words. "If this Ren is really as terrible as you say he is, then maybe you're right. I'll put together some type of sled, as we'll get moving before nightfall. Do you have any idea where we'll be heading?"

Ben nodded; "I was thinking we could head to D'Qar." Rey's eyebrows flew up. "At least _mother_ will be pleased. If she doesn't just shoot me on sight," Ben grumbled.

"Well, you must be feeling better if you have enough energy to be cranky," Rey said as she roller her eyes at Ben. She stood and went to gather the supplies for a sled. When she returned, she lased together twelve long branches, each long enough to give Ben a few inches of space so his good foot wouldn't hang off the sled and get hung up on something. She then took some spare vine and secured it to the sled, like a harness. Next, Rey took some of the cloaks that were piled on top of Ben, and lined the sled with them. Finally, she carefully maneuvered Ben onto the sled, and piled cloaks on him again to keep him warm. As an added precaution, Rey used more vines to lash Ben securely to the shed, to keep him from falling off.

"Ready?" Rey asked? At Ben's curt nod, Rey looped the makeshift harness around her shoulders like some sort of massive pack, and trudged forward, pulling Ben behind her. Their progress was slow, but it was progress. After a few hours, Rey's chest screamed in protest as her wound burst open again. Blood began to soak into her tunic, and drip onto the ground. Ben's head snapped up, and he twisted around to look at her.

"Stop." He said. "You're hurt. Let me look at that." Rey ignored him and continues on. Ben rolled his eyes, and reached around with his right hand to grasp her elbow. "Listen to me, you stupid desert rat!" At this, Rey stopped dead in her tracks to glare at him.

"You're leaving a trail, Rey." Ben pointed at the foliage surrounding them. Much of it had drips and smears of blood from Rey's wound. She flushed, feeling foolish. "Just pause a moment, and let me help you seal it, at least."

Rey shook her head. "No, I'll just re-wrap the wound with fresh bandages, and we'll get going."

Ben's face flushed with anger as he began to shout at her. "Dammit, you stubborn scavenger! We're both wounded. IF we get attacked, I'm useless in a fight. I can't walk, I can't carry anything. For pity's sake, you're dragging me through the woods on a damned sled! I can do exactly nothing! At least let me help heal you. I don't need my strength. _You_ do!"

Rey rocked back on her heels. She could feel the helplessness, anger, fear, shame, and frustration rolling off of Ben like a sickening tide. She realized that this was a man who had always been wholly self-sufficient, and now he was not only relying completely and utterly on Rey, but on a woman; not to mention his sworn enemy. Rey felt abruptly ashamed of herself. "Okay," she said. What do you need me to do?

"Take off your tunic. Quickly; I think we've got company." Rey flushed a deep scarlet as she removed her tunic, her hands shaking. She then quickly unwound the bandages wrapped around her chest and abdomen, letting them fall to the forest floor. Ben stared at her exposed skin, momentarily stunned by her beauty. _This is no dream_ , he thought, _here she is, standing before me._ Ben reached out with his only remaining hand and gently, cautiously probed the wound. He started at Rey's left hip, and drew his hand slowly up to her right shoulder, pushing the Force through her hand and into Rey's body. As he slowly drew his hand over her injury, Ben watched as it closed and left nothing but perfect skin behind. Ben paused when he reached her right breast. The ugly slash cut across the breast in a terrible, jagged slash. Ben looked Rey in the eye; "I'm sorry, but this must be done." Though she blushed, Rey nodded her assent. Ben gently cupped her breast in his hand, channeling the Force. The slash closed under his hand, and he moved on to her shoulder, with some regret. At last, the damage was repaired, and they were both flushing a deep red.

Rey was suddenly aware of the erection Ben was desperately trying to hide, and the wetness between her own thighs. Ben's eyes had gone curiously deep, and burned with his desire for her. "We should get going," Rey said. Ben nodded jerkily; it seemed healing her had taken its toll on him. As Rey forged onward, his head fell onto his chest, and his breathing deepened. Rey smiled and let him sleep. She urged herself to move faster; she was getting a bad feeling about this. Reaching out through the Force, Rey discovered, to her dismay, that Ben had been correct. They were not alone, and it was no one that Rey knew. They were drawing closer; dangerously close. Rey redoubled her speed, trying desperately to outdistance their pursuers.

Ben suddenly jerked awake. "No!" he gasped, "It's Snoke! They've found us. Run, Rey!"

"Damn it, Ben, you're not as helpless as you think you are! Help me!"

"What the hell can I do, Rey? I've only got one arm, and one leg! I'm useless!"

" **Can you use the Force, or can't you**!?" Ben blinked, straightening. Rey felt a fresh wave of shame roll through him.

"You're right. You keep going, I'll do what I can from here."

Suddenly, out of the trees before them, a contingent of Stormtroopers emerged. "Do what you can, Ben. I'll try to deflect the blaster fire." Rey drew her saber-staff, and twirled it as the blaster fire began. For a moment, it seemed like nothing would get through her defense, but a single blaster-bolt slipped past her twirling blades and struck her in the shoulder. The blood drained out of her face, and Ben winced as he felt her pain through the Force. Ben's hand came up, and suddenly, everything stopped. The Stormtroopers all suddenly began to float, and with one sick, resounding crack, every last one fell to the ground with broken necks. Rey looked behind her at Ben; sometimes, it was so easy to forget who he had been that when he truly showed what he could do, it truly frightened her. "Well, let's...let's just...get to the shuttle. Are we close?"

Ben cocked his head, sensing her fear towards him. "Yes, we're very close. It should only take another hour, two at the most, if you can keep up this pace." Rey nodded. "Rey. I only did that back there because it was necessary; they would have killed us."

"I know your reasons, Ben. It's just a bit...startling when you seem so gentle one moment, and you're so ruthless the next. It's very...disconcerting."

Ben pursed his lips in thought. He reached his hand back to grab hold of Rey's. "I'm sorry, Rey; I didn't mean to scare you. I don't want you hurt. Please; if you believe nothing else about me, believe that."

Rey's breath caught in her chest. _Why am I feeling like this? I barely know this man, and I certainly don't trust him,_ she thought. "I don't know why, but I do. It's about the only thing I believe from you right now."

Ben nodded; "That's fair." They lapsed into silence for nearly an hour, until Ben said quietly, "It's just through those trees there. But that's the least of our worries. I can sense a number of First Order Pilots, waiting for us once we leave the atmosphere."

"You let me worry about those pilots."

At last, Rey could see the shuttle that had once belonged to Kylo Ren. She dragged Ben up the ramp, and pushed the button to close the loading bay. Rey knelt beside Ben, "I don't have time to strap you in."  
Ben nodded, "I understand. Get us out of here."

Rey shot Ben one last worried glance as she dashed to the cockpit. She keyed in the ignition sequence, flipped a couple of switches, and the shuttle rose off the sodden ground. Rey piloted the shuttle deftly through the trees, and with a sudden burst of acceleration, broke the atmosphere of Yavin 4. But to her dismay, a fleet of Star Destroyers was waiting for them. The Destroyers released their fighter squadrons, and suddenly there was a confused mass of First Order ships circling their shuttle. Rey glanced back at Ben's pale face, and he nodded, gripping a strap for dear life. Rey quickly made the calculations for their jump to hyperspace, and punched it.

Rey laughed, but realized the celebration came too soon. Just as they entered the hyperspace channel, there came a great shuddering, and an explosion; one of the fighters had gotten off a lucky shot! They fell with a terrible shudder out of hyperspace, and were instantly sucked into the orbit of another planet, but with their engines damaged, Rey could not break free. As they entered the atmosphere of what seemed to be a very rocky planet, Rey checked their star map, and frowned in disapproval. They weren't on Yavin 4, anymore, but they weren't as far as she'd have liked, either; they were about to crash-land on Ord Biniir. Not her first choice; it was little more than a canyon-riddled pile of rocks, but it was still better than being captured by the First Order.

Rey launched herself out of the pilot's seat, and rushed over to where Ben was laying, waxen-faced and sweating. "We'll be okay, Ben. We're going to get through this, I promise." She draped herself over him, trying to protect him from what was coming. Rey felt Ben's arm wrap around her waist and pull her in tight.

"I know we'll be okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." _Was it her imagination, or did Ben press a kiss into her hair just then_? She shook the thought off; not that it mattered just now. She and Ben braced themselves as the shuttle made sudden contact with the ground, hurtling them both around the shuttle bay.

Rey woke to hear her name being called. "Ben? Where are you?" In answer, she heard coughing, and something metallic being pushed over. "I'm coming! Try not to move!" She scrambled over the wreckage towards where the sound had come from. Rey moaned when she found him. "Oh, no. Are you alright? Can you move?"

Ben had been flung clear across the shuttle; amazingly, the sled seemed to have survived. "I'm alright," he groaned. "What about you? Are you terribly hurt?" Ben reached up to wipe some blood off her face, and his hand lingered on her cheek. To her very great surprise, Rey found that she didn't mind. In fact, she somewhat... _liked_ it when he touched her like this. She flushed at the thought.

"I'm alright. Come on; let's get you out of here." With that, Rey grabbed on to the sled and, with great effort, pulled it out of the shuttle and into the blinding desert sun before returning to the shuttle to salvage what supplies she could; it wasn't fantastic news. Mostly, it was just some emergency rations; luckily, there was a decent store of water, however. When she came back out of the shuttle, Rey finally got a good look around. Unlike Jakku, this planet had very little sand. It seemed to be mostly rock and canyons. "Well; good news is, where there are canyons, there are usually caves." She looked back at Ben and grinned. "Let's go explore."

It took Rey at least two hours, but she finally found them a cave that would suffice. Thoroughly exhausted, Rey broke out some of the emergency rations and had Ben eat them while she loosened the vines that held him lashed to the sled. She then sat beside him to replenish herself. They drank sparingly of their water, but both felt much better for it. Rey climbed onto the sled with Ben and, as had become their habit since Ben had betrayed the First Order, Rey draped her arm over Ben's chest and pillowed her head on his shoulder. There was no mistaking it this time; Ben definitely pressed a kiss to her hair before muttering, "Good night, little desert rat." Rey smiled as he took her hand, and together, they drifted off to sleep.

***Author's Note***

Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter; I had loads of fun writing it. I'm trying to add some humor to their bickering; let me know what you thought. I can't wait to write more for you guys!


	7. Chapter 7

***Author's Not***

Okay, so this chapter has a lot of dialogue, just so you know. Lots of plot progression, and a good bit of character/relationship development, as well as comic relief; I know it's been pretty heavy thus far. I know you all want more lemon, and there will be, next chapter, but I don't want to rush that aspect and have it come off as sloppy. Just a smidge more patience, and you'll see some massive fireworks between Ben and Rey.

Rey was the first to wake; she wasn't even sure if it was day or night. All she knew was that they were alive, unhurt, and safe. At least, for now. As they slept, Ben's head had shifted to rest on her's. She smiled to herself; when he was resting like this, he looked sort of...sweet, she mused. She gently unwound their fingers and made to sit up. Rey stifled a gasp as her body screamed in protest. Okay...maybe not _un_ hurt. But not as hurt as they could have been. Rey rolled gingerly to her feet to assess the damage. Not the worst crash she'd been in; at least it felt like nothing was broken. She removed her tunic, looking down at torso, wincing at what she saw. True, Ben had healed the terrible slash on her torso, but now there were angry, mottled bruises spreading across her body. In some places, it seemed hat the bruising went all the way to the bone. _Well, it could be worse,_ she thought. _I_ _ **could**_ _be dead_.

Rey turned at the sound of movement behind her, and found Ben watching her with an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. He looked almost... _sad_. "I'm okay, Ben," she said quietly as she replaced her tunic. "It's just a few bruises." At this, his eyebrows winged up.

"'Just a few bruises?' Rey, I've seen 'just a few bruises' and this isn't that. You look like you pissed off a Wookie," he chuckled. "Take my word on that; I grew up with a Wookie. I'm used to their tempers."

Rey chuckled, bemused. _He never talks about his past,_ she thought. _Sometimes I forget that this is the man who killed his own father. He certainly doesn't_ _ **act**_ _like he's capable of such a thing. I'd at least like to know_ _ **why**_ _he did it. Even if I did know, I don't think I'll ever be able to trust him._ Out of the corner of her eye, Rey saw Ben stiffen, and she knew that he had heard every word she'd just thought. She locked eyes with him, and he looked away, flushing. She felt confusion, shame, loss, and no small amount of guilt rolling off of him. Her brow crumpled; most of the emotions she sensed coming from him, she understood, but _confusion_? That, she did not understand.

"I have to see what kind of resources there are out there," she told Ben. "I'll be back in a while. Try to rest, okay?" With that, she limped her way out of the cave.

"Well, what did you expect, Kid?" Ben lurched in surprise; he glanced at the cave mouth where Rey had just disappeared, and saw his father standing there, leaving ever-so-casually against the wall. "Surprised to see me again, huh?" Han's eyes sparkled with humor.

"Are you trying to scare me to death, Father?" Ben grumbled. "Is this some kind of sick revenge?"

Han rolled his eyes, "Don't be so melodramatic. You and I both know what really happened on that bridge. Just remember, Kid; women always figure out the truth. Always. I like her, by the way. And, more importantly, Chewie likes her."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll be sure to get Chewie's opinion once he's done tearing my arms off..."

"Arm. Don't you mean arm? I mean, you've only _got_ one full one."

Ben shook his head. "Very nice. Thanks. You had to go with the one-armed joke, didn't you?"

"Come on, Kid. Pull the stick out of your ass. It was funny, and you know it," Han laughed. "So. What's the plan? Don't sit there and tell me you don't have one; I know you, Kid. You're always planning something."

Ben raised his eyebrows innocently. "But, Father, I've only got one leg; I can't _stand_ and tell you I don't have a plan..." Ben grinned mischievously.

Han doubled up with laughter, "There's the Kid I know! Alright, then; what's the plan?"

"Well, obviously neither of us can do much until we've healed up some. So, I figure we'll take a few days to rest, then get to work trying to find some way off this rock. I told her I'd go with her to D'Qar, and I meant it. I can't go back to the First Order; it would be instant death for me if I did. Not to mention Snoke or Ren would be able to pull all the information from me regarding Rey. No; I can't go back, and I don't want to. I haven't felt so like myself since..." Ben paled and looked away from his father, fidgeting with the improvised blankets. "Well, let's just say I haven't felt in control of myself since the day I turned from the Light." Ben cleared his throat to get rid of the lump that had formed there. "I thought I'd become an...informant...of sorts for the Resistance. I have plenty of pertinent information that I could give. If they'll have me, that is."

Han nodded, "That sound like a pretty good plane, Kid. Huh. You should have limbs cut off more often; gives you time to think."

Ben chuckled. "I'm glad to have the approval of a dead man...In all seriousness, though; is this going to be a regular thing? You showing up and giving me surprisingly pertinent advice...For a dead man, anyway."

Han walked slowly over to his son, and knelt beside him. He took his son's face in his hands and looked him in the eye, "Ben, I'll be here for as long as you want me to be, for whatever reason you want me to be. I will never leave you, if you don't want me to. Just because I'm dead, it doesn't mean I've stopped loving you. You are my son. Nothing will change that. Nothing."

Ben's eyes welled up with tears, and they trickled down his cheeks at his father's words. Just then, he sensed Rey returning, so he said thickly, "Rey is coming, Father. I don't think she'd quite understand yet."

Han smiled softly at his son, "I understand. Just remember: I'll always be here when you need me," His voice echoed through the cave as Han faded and vanished.

Just then, Ben heard Rey scrambling up the path towards the cave, dragging what sounded like a bag of scraps; he hurriedly tried to brush the tears from his face with his hand.

"Well, this place isn't quite as desolate as I thought. It's certainly not nearly so bad as Jakku. I found a river at the bottom of this canyon here. It seems that whatever rock these canyons are made of, it acts as a natural filter, cleaning the water, so it's perfectly safe to drink. I thought we could take a trip down there tomorrow and wash up; we're losing the light just now. But we definitely need to wash; we're both pretty rank. Also, I found some herbs that might be good for healing. If not, they smell good; they'll at least be useful to season this reptilian thing I found at the river. I know, it's nothing I'm used to eating, either, but it's big, and it looks..." Rey faltered as she finally glanced over at Ben. "Ben? Are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

Ben smiled weakly, "I'm fine. So. Reptile, huh? It's food, anyway, and our emergency rations won't last very long. What's with all the scraps? Did you stop by the shuttle?"

Rey grinned and nodded with enthusiasm as she set about making a fire with scraps of wood she had found while exploring, "I thought we might be able to make use of some of the components that we either won't need to repair the shuttle or that are too damaged to use on the shuttle, but might still be useful for other things. I have a project in mind, but I don't want to talk about it just yet, in case it doesn't work out."

She set out the herbs she had picked, testing each one for various properties; the ones that burned her skin, she tossed outside the cave, as they were most likely poisonous. Some, however, soothed her bruises when she rubbed the herbs on them, and these she set carefully aside, mentally marking where she'd found each one, and the properties of each so she could find them again. The herbs that smelled wonderful, but seemed to have neither adverse nor beneficial effects on her wounds, Rey set in another pile to be used for cooking.

At long last, she set about skinning and cleaning the reptile. It looked like a giant lizard. She took out her hunting knife, and made small incisions in the flesh of the creature, just large enough to stuff with the cooking herbs that she had gathered. Finally, Rey took out a decent-sized slab of slate that she had found and cleaned at the river and placed it near enough to the fire that it would heat enough to cook their meal, and placed the prepared carcass on it. Before long, the smell of cooking meat wafted through the cave, causing Rey's and Ben's stomachs to rumble loudly.

They both laughed, and at last, Rey decided the meat was done cooking, and she cut off large chunks for both of them, "Careful, it's hot," she warned Ben as she handed his slice over.

"It smells wonderful, Rey. Thank you," Ben bit gingerly into the meat he had been offered, and his eyes slid shut in bliss. "This is incredible, Rey. Who knew you could eat like this while stranded on a desert planet and the First Order is searching every corner of the galaxy for you?  
Rey snorted out a surprised laugh, "Wait; was that a joke? Wow. I think there must be something wrong with you; you've suddenly sprouted a sense of humor." They both dissolved into a fit of giggles that had them clutching their stomachs and wiping tears from their eyes. "It's good to laugh. I guess I didn't realize you were capable of laughing."

"I'm capable; I just forgot how for a long while."

Over the next few days, Ben and Rey fell into a comfortable routine. In the morning, they would wake, and Rey would leave the cave to hunt and gather useful supplies, and Ben would rest and converse with his father's spirit while she was gone. Upon her return, she would skin, clean, and prepare any animal that she had managed to find, and they would talk through the evening as she worked on her mysterious project. As the days slowly passed, both of their wounds healed (much faster thanks to poultices Rey made with the herbs she had found). Ben discovered his elbow and knee ached less and less as the days went by. But more than that, they both found, to their very great surprise, that they were beginning to develop quite the accord. They felt, perhaps, that they were becoming friends, though neither could quite forget that they had been mortal enemies, barely two weeks before.

***Author's Note***

Hope y'all liked this chapter. I'm particularly enjoying writing the Han's Spirit/Ben interactions. I hope the comic relief was enjoyable. Thanks for reading, as always; another chapter will be added very, very soon!


	8. Chapter 8

***Author's Note***

Here we go; this chapter is massively important to the plot of this story. Therefore, it is extremely plot-heavy, and also very dialogue-heavy. There is also very heavy lemon-y goodness near the end of this chapter. Have fun, you lot!

Rey and Ben had been on Ord Biniir for ten days, and they found that conversation had become a great deal easier, though Ben had grown moodier than ever. Rey sensed that this was a direct result of his new, sedentary lifestyle; it was wearing on him, not being able to do anything. Rey smiled to herself. _Well, hopefully my project will help with that,_ she thought, incredibly pleased with herself.

Rey fiddled with the next part she was breaking down; she had something on her mind, Ben knew, just as he knew she would bring it up when she was ready to. Just as that thought crossed his mind, Rey cleared her throat to speak, "Um, Ben?"

"Yes, Rey?"

"There's something that's been bothering me..." She drifted into silence for a moment, but Ben just waited for her to finish. "I was wondering if you'd tell me...what made you turn to the Dark Side in the first place?" Rey wouldn't take her eyes off the part she was breaking down.

Ben sighed. "I thought it might be something like that. Are you really sure you want to hear this story? It's not a happy one."

Finally, Rey looked up and met his gaze. "Yes, I'm sure. I feel it's important, since we're getting to know each other."

Ben reached his hand around and rested it on the stub of his left arm, in a gesture that had become a habit in the weeks since he'd lost his limbs to the Knights of Ren; already, it seemed like it had been a lifetime ago. "Well, let me see; where should I begin? I suppose the beginning is the only place to start. So, I will begin on the day of my birth. There are very few living souls that know this, my mother being one of them, but I was born a twin; my twin sister, in fact. She and I looked very similar. She had my hair, my eyes, my complexion, height, strength, and so on, but her face was far lovelier than mine. She was decidedly feminine; tall as I am, and thin as a reed. It was a very becoming combination. My sister was quite the beauty. Her name was Padme. She was named after our Grandmother, who died while giving birth to my mother and Uncle Luke.

"From the time that Padme and I were born, we had an uncanny connection. We always knew where the other was, and if there was trouble, we were always there to see it through for each other. Mostly, Padme spent her time keeping me out of trouble," Ben smiled sadly at some distant memory. "When we were six, our parents decided that it was time to give us our own rooms. It didn't go well. That night, Padme had terrible nightmares. I woke long before her screaming started; I'd had the same dream. I sensed there was something terribly wrong with my sister, so I rushed into her room; seconds later, the wailing began. She screamed so loud and so long that I thought my ears would bleed. Our parents came rushing into the room, where I'd pulled her into my lap, stroking her hair. But all my attempts to calm her were in vain. Suddenly, the screams went silent, but then she began to tremble, to shake uncontrollably. With each tremor that racked through my beloved sister, a blast of sheer Force energy exploded out from Padme. The whole house shook; we were terrified. On instinct, I felt for my sister's mind, and _pushed_ with everything I had, willing her to hear my thoughts. Finally, I succeeded, and slowly, the tremors stilled, and the house stopped shaking. I remember taking Padme's face in my hands and leaning my forehead against hers.

"After that, my sister could and would not sleep without my presence. My father moved my bed close to hers, and every night after that, we fell asleep holding hands. It was the only thing that kept the night terrors away. Uncle Luke came to visit for our seventh birthday. What he saw and sensed disturbed him deeply. He took us into a quiet room in the house, and walked us through our first meditation. After we finished, he took Mother and Father aside to discuss what he had discovered. As twins are wont to do, Padme and I listened at the door. I'll never forget their conversation. Luke had told my mother and father that Padme and I were the most powerful Force-Sensitives of our age that he had ever come across. But with that, he said, came a terrible price. We had such a Force Connection that we literally felt everything the other felt. If we concentrated, it was like we were one person. She was my center, and I was her protector. She kept me calm, and I got her into trouble," Ben chuckled. "We could hear each others thoughts from across the galaxy, if we'd wanted to. Uncle Luke warned that the fate of one would become the fate of the other, and if something ever happened to one of us, the other would most likely be driven mad. He decided that it would be best if he took us for training, and our parents agreed.

"We took to our Jedi training like fish to water. We thrived under Luke's tutelage. But when I turned 13, I began experiencing unexplained fits of terrible temper; I'd always been very calm when I'd been younger. My mood swings grew worse as I got older, and we found that my beloved sister was the only one who could calm me. She would press her way into my mind, and _remove_ the anger. She _forced_ me to be calm. For some reason, this disturbed my Uncle. He said it was a kind of mind control, and that it was not something he felt comfortable with. Padme spent more and more time in the Archives, researching our Force Connection, looking for answers, trying to save me from the Dark Side. She had been having visions of me in black robes and a mask, with a red cross-section light-saber that sputtered and sparked as though it were unstable.

"Padme had a strong connection to the Archivist; no one thought anything of it at first, but as the days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, people began to grow suspicious of all the time she spent with him. She grew paler and more withdrawn. Then, one night, I was pacing the room that we shared at the Jedi academy. I was restless, and I couldn't figure out why. Padme was in the Archives, as usual. Suddenly, I sensed something was wrong. Something was terribly, horribly wrong." Ben took a moment to take a deep breath; his eyes had filled with tears, and Rey sensed the end of the story was near. "You see, we had all been fooled by the Archivist; he had sensed Padme's and my power, and he coveted it; he had tricked my sister into taking a trip with him, off-planet. They were supposed to return by evening. We know the Archivist now as Supreme Leader Snoke. He had tried to turn my sister to the Dark Side, but she had seen through his tricks. They fought with both Force and light-saber, but he was too powerful for her. I felt it when he cut off her right arm, and rammed his saber through my beloved Padme's chest." Rey gasped, and her own eyes filled with tears as she felt Ben's pain at the loss of his twin through the Force.

"I felt the moment our connection broke; I collapsed in our room, screaming. I have no memory of the next week; all I know is what I was told. I screamed; that was the most I could tell you, but it wasn't just with my voice. I forced my way into every mind that was near me, and they were trapped in my pain with me. Every fiber of my being was trapped in a whirlwind of loss and pain, and at the heart of it, a hard knot of anger and hate began to grow. With every scream, waves of the Force rolled off of me, just as it had the night Padme had had that nightmare. At the end of the week, there was nothing left of the Temple we had lived in. I had shaken it to the very ground, and all while I was unconscious. Finally, through the pain, I heard a voice. It was Snoke. He whispered to me in the dark, and told me I knew who I had to blame. I woke in the darkness and rain; I was inconsolable. Nothing anyone said could calm me. Snoke's whispers had taken root in my mind, and I blamed Luke. It was _his_ fault; he'd brought Snoke to us, and _Snoke_ had taken Padme from me. That was the day that I turned to the Dark Side. That was the day I slaughtered my Uncle's students. For the next thirteen years, I walked further and further down the path of darkness, trying to forget the memory of Padme." Ben trailed off into silence as a single tear trickled down his cheek.

"Oh, Ben. I had no idea. I'm so sorry." Rey reached up and wiped the tear away, leaving her hand resting on his cheek for a moment. Ben's eyes locked onto hers, and they softened with gratitude, and Rey's heart gave a sudden squeeze in response. Ben smiled sadly.

"Thank you, Rey. I haven't talked about Padme since the night she died. It feels...good. Thank you." Ben reached out and took Rey's hand, drawing little circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. The pair drifted for a while into silence, until Rey shifted.

"Well, I've actually been working on something. Sort of a...present for you."

Ben straightened in surprise. "For me?"

Rey smiled, "Sure; who else? Close your eyes." Ben obliged her. "Hold out your right leg," Ben held out his damaged leg, confused. He felt Rey place something on his stump, and tighten a few straps. "Okay, you can look now!" Ben did as she asked, and looked down. There, attached to his leg at the knee, was a curved, metal apparatus. Ben blinked in surprise.

"It's a leg," he said dumbly. "You made me a...leg?" His heart warmed at the idea.

Rey nodded, and held her hands out to Ben. "It's not very nice, but it'll function until we can get you a proper one. Let me help you up," she said. Ben took her hands and struggled to stand on his new leg. He wavered a bit, but Rey helped him to find his balance. For the next three hours, Rey walked Ben around and around their cave, getting him used to the new apparatus. They stopped, standing in the cave mouth, watching the sunset, each with an arm around the other.

Ben looked down at Rey, and was struck by how very beautiful she looked in the fading light. "Rey?" He said, "Thank you."

Rey turned into him, to gaze into his face. "You're very welcome, Ben." The pair drew closer, their arms still around each other. Rey felt the stump of Ben's left arm come up to rest on her hip, and his right hand came up to cup her cheek.

"You don't know what you've come to mean to me, Rey," Ben murmured as he leaned down, closer to Rey, his eyes searching her face. Rey tipped her face up as Ben closed the distance, and kissed her. Rey's breath caught in her chest, and she brought her arms up to drawn him in closer. The kiss deepened, and he tasted the sweetness on her tongue. He gasped in a breath, and wrapped his right arm tighter around her waist. He felt Rey's hands slide beneath his tunic, and up his back. His trousers tightened in response. He drew back, breaking the kiss, searching Rey's face with a questioning gaze. Without a word, Rey took his hand in hers and helped him limp back to the improvised cot that they shared. Rey waited as Ben lowered himself clumsily onto the cot, and she positioned herself with one leg on either side of his hips, so she could sit in his lap, facing him.

Ben kissed her again, sliding his hand under her tunic, and gently worked it up over her head. Rey lifted her arms to make it easier for him, and once free from her tunic, she reached forward to remove his, in return. Returning to the kiss, Rey traced his muscular chest with her fingertips, enjoying how he shivered as she explored his body. His member began to stiffen under her attentions; she felt it press against her, and she ground her hips against him in response. Ben moaned into her mouth, and flipped her onto the cot. He worked his trousers down clumsily with his right hand, as Rey removed hers, albeit far more quickly. Ben positioned himself over Rey, supporting himself on what remained of his left arm, so that he could trace her body with his hand. She shivered in response, and reached her hand around to take hold of his pulsing manhood. Ben straightened as she stroked his length, and he felt every nerve come alive at her touch. On a wild moan, Ben pressed Rey back down onto the cot, pausing with his lips pressed to Rey's neck. "Are you ready?" He asked; as Rey's gasped affirmative, Ben guided himself smoothly into her entrance. She cried out as he pressed further into her, and Ben's breath hitched as he pumped his hips deeper into her. She shifted her position so that she could pump her hips in time with his, and they hurtled into a frantic pace, as their moans mingled in the early evening air. Rey's back arched as her climax neared, and Ben felt her tighten around him. Shivering, he gave one final thrust of his hips, burying himself as deeply as he could, and released his seed into her, crying out her name, hearing it echo through the cave.

Trembling, he pulled himself from her, and laid his head against her chest, hearing her heart race. They lay there for some time, panting. After a few minutes, Ben groaned into Rey's breast. "I think I may have gone blind," he breathed. Rey shifted beneath him as she laughed.

"I'm going to have agree with that sentiment. I think I just saw the Afterlife." The two of them laid there, laughing for some time, until Ben maneuvered himself off of Rey, and wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her tightly to him, where she curled up against him, with her head on his chest, and promptly fell asleep. Ben sighed with contentment.

"Good night, my little scavenger," he murmured as he, too slid into sleep.

***Author's Note***

Everybody say "awwwwwwww". I had to add the mushy at the end there; it was a pretty heavy chapter. Hope it was enjoyable. I sure had fun writing it! As every, my friends, thank you for reading. ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

***Author's Note***

Hello again! Last chapter for the night, so I tried to make this one short and sweet. Hope it was at least a little fun!

Ben woke first, and stayed as still as he could manage, just watching Rey sleep. He watched as the sun rose and crept slowly across her perfect face. Last night, he felt, had changed everything. There was an ever-present warmth in his chest now when he looked at Rey, and there was a little tickle in a corner of his mind where, if he concentrated, he could see what she was dreaming. Ben sighed in contentment and stroked Rey's hair gently. He couldn't remember ever having been this happy. Rey shifted in her sleep, and he sensed her dreams come to an end. Ben watched her eyes slowly flicker open, and he smiled. "Good morning," he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

Rey smiled sleepily at Ben; "Good morning," she answered. Neither could bring themselves to move as the light crept further and further into the cave. Slowly, they began to sense something was wrong. Rey shrieked suddenly, and Ben lurched into an upright position, staring stupidly around.

"What the _**hell**_ is wrong with you, Father!?"

"Look, Kid. I know I said I'd let her see me when you were ready for her to, but there's no time now. You just ran out. Rey. You need to get in contact with Luke. The First Order has figured out where you two escaped to; they'll be here by tomorrow morning, if not sooner."

Rey sputtered in response, "But, I've been trying to reach Luke since we got here; he's too far."  
Han's eyes unfocused for a moment, then they snapped back to Rey's, "He's meditating now. He'll hear you, I promise. Ben, give her a boost. Oh, and by the way; it's about damn time you two had sex..." Han's laugh echoed around the cave as he disappeared.

"You heard him, Rey; we have to hurry." Ben scrambled clumsily off the cot, tossing Rey her tunic and trousers, tugging his on as he went. "I'll help you reach my Uncle. If we meditate together, it'll help you reach further."

Rey nodded as she finished tugging her clothes on. "Okay; are you ready?" At Ben's quick nod, she rushed over to him and sat before him, taking his hand in hers. They settled in together and sank simultaneously into the Force. He sought the too-familiar presence of his Uncle; finally, he found it, and _pushed_ Rey towards it.

 _Master! Master, can you hear me?_

 _?! Rey?_

 _Yes, it's me. Master, we need your help. Ben and I are on Ord Biniir, and we think the First Order has found us; they'll probably be here by tomorrow morning, at the latest. Can you reach us by then?_

 _Of course I can, but did you say you're with_ _ **Ben**_ _? Specifically Ben, not Kylo Ren?_

 _Yes, Master, but I don't have time to explain right now. Please hurry._

Ben breathed a sigh of relief; "At least we reached him." He realized the light had faded greatly; they must have been meditating for hours! "Oh, no," he muttered, and then his face stiffened.

"Ben? Oh, God, Ben!? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Ben didn't answer, but the color drained from his face. "It's Snoke...he knows we're here. He's coming himself, and he'll be here far sooner than my Father thought."

"How soon, Ben?

Ben shook his head as though trying to make sense of something. "They'll be here by nightfall, if not sooner." Rey's hands shot to her mouth in shock. She doubted even the _Falcon_ could reach them in time. Ben wrapped his arm around Rey and drew her close to him. "It's gonna be okay. Don't worry, you'll see. Uncle Luke won't fail us." _Please, Uncle Luke. Don't let us down._

Luke had been utterly astounded to hear his Padawan's voice during his meditation today. He once again, for what seemed like the thousandth time since she had contacted him, extended his consciousness towards Ord Biniir, looking for the unlikely pair. Once again, he found them, both clearly terrified. Luke had felt an odd disturbance in the Force last night while he'd slept, and he was uncertain what to make of it; though now that he had sensed both his nephew and his Padawan, he thought he had a theory. However, theorizing would have to wait until he found them. Luke had nearly lost all hope when he had found first the abandoned campsite, then the unmistakable marks of something heavy being dragged away from said camp, and finally, the extreme amounts of blood he had found along that trail. The fact that Rey was alive and well was a great balm to Luke's nerves.

"Okay, Chewie, we've got to get to Ord Biniir, and fast." Chewie roared an affirmative in response. "Ben's with her, old buddy. I know, but try not to hurt him, okay? I know what he's done, but there's more to this, I know there is."

Things had progressed far more quickly than Luke could have predicted. As the _Falcon_ hurtled out of hyperspace, he was dismayed to find that Ord Biniir was already under siege by a fleet of Star Destroyers. _Oh, no,_ he thought. He pushed his thoughts towards Rey.

 _I'm here, Padawan. Be ready._ Came Luke's voice into her mind. She gasped, "Luke's here!"

"It's about damn time," grumbled Ben. "We're out of time, look!" To their very great distress, they saw a contingent of Stormtroopers coming down the path, heading straight for their cave, followed at some distance by Snoke. He moved slowly, as though he had years to reach them. To make matters worse, there was definitely at least one Knight of Ren with them.

Rey lit and twirled her saber-staff, "Are you ready," she asked with a wolfish grin.

Ben's own grin answered her, "I was born ready," and he lit his own light-saber; he sensed she was as eager for a fight as he was. Finally, an enemy they could actually see! Together, they charged the Stormtroopers, their light-sabers flashing red and violet and they slashed here and there, in perfect harmony.

"What do you think you can do?" Came the unmistakable altered voice of one of the Knights of Ren. "Master Ren knows what you've done. He knows your weakness for this girl; he will find you, and there will be no corner of the galaxy in which you can hide."

Ben glanced at Rey and rolled his eyes. He looked at his former Knight as he replied, "You know, I think I'll take that chance."

Together, they leaped at the Knight, Rey with her double-bladed saber-staff flashing violet, and his cross-section light-saber flashing a sickly, pulsing red. The Knight managed to block their furious onslaught at first, but then the tide turned in their favor. The Knight had been trained to defend against two blades, but not three. Rey's expertise with her staff proved to be the deciding factor in the battle.

As the _Falcon_ swooped low over the battle raging below, Luke saw three light-sabers, one of which was clearly Rey's. The other two were red, and from this height, it was difficult to tell which one had the telltale cross-section. Suddenly, Rey's violet blade bit through her opponent, who fell to the ground. Finally, Luke had a target. "Chewie! Bring the _Falcon_ lower! Bring it right over them!"

Ben looked up as the _Falcon_ flew slowly towards them, loading bay wide open. " **Rey** ," he screamed, "take hold of me!" As Rey wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing herself to his chest. Ben focused on the _Falcon_ , and with all the might he could muster, he Force-Jumped as high as he could, barely managing to catch hold of the loading bay ramp. He felt Rey start to climb up his body, but his fingers were slipping. He didn't think there was time for them both to climb aboard.

"Oh, no you don't," Rey lunged for his hand as he lost his hold. Ben stared at her in desperation and fear. "I've got you," she said, "I won't let you fall." Rey dug her feet into the grooves in the bay floor and _pulled;_ Ben heard Snoke's wordless scream of rage as he was dragged slowly into the loading bay, where they dragged each other out of the way of the closing ramp. Once they were clear, Ben collapsed against Rey's chest, breathing in her scent to calm his breathing.

"Well, that was close," Ben breathed. Rey chuckled.

"You could say that."

Just as Ben pulled Rey towards him to kiss her passionately, he heard the bay doors woosh open, and footsteps come to a clattering halt before them. He didn't care. They were safe. His desert rat was safe. He closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against Rey's, reveling in her presence.

"Well. This is...unexpected..." came his Uncle's stunned voice.

"Hello, Uncle. It's been a long time."

***Author's Note***

Well, this should be interesting...Hope it's been fun so far,a nd as ever, I love that so many seem to be enjoying my story. ^_^


	10. Chapter 10

***Author's Note***

Hello again! I took a bit more time on this chapter, as the last one I posted was a bit of the short-ish side. Lots of plot, lots of lemon, and hopefully a good bit of funny. Enjoy!

Rey chuckled into Ben's chest; "Here, let me help you up," she said. As Ben struggled upright, he felt Luke's shock at seeing the stump of his left arm, and the artificial leg that Rey had made for him.

"Ben...what happened?" his Uncle whispered.

"He saved me, Master," Rey jumped in. "It cost him dearly to do so, as you can see. Not to mention the death warrant he signed for himself. Ben betrayed the First Order and killed five Knights of Ren, single-handed...Sorry; no pun intended," she added quickly as she glanced sheepishly at Ben.

Ben rolled his eyes and groaned at the terrible pun. "Single-handed?" Ben snorted out a laugh, "That couldn't have been any worse if you'd honestly been trying! You sure know how to make a man feel special, you know that?" Rey flushed and giggled for a moment as she reached up to take his face in her hands, her thumbs tracing the angry red line that slashed across his face.

Just then, they heard the unmistakable sound of an angry Wookie. From behind Luke, Chewie charged with such speed and ferocity that Luke and Rey had no time to react; all Ben had time to do was brace himself as Chewie swung a massive arm and connected soundly with Ben's chest. Rey heard and _felt_ something snap as Ben was sent flying into the opposite wall. "Chewie, _stop_!" Rey screamed as she used a low-level Force blast to knock him back a couple of steps so that she could stand between Chewie and Ben. Chewie's eyes narrowed and he roared viciously at Rey. "I know you're angry, Chewie, and you have every right, but listen to me; the man that killed Han is dead. This is Ben, not Kylo Ren!" Chewie roared again; he was clearly beyond logic. From behind Chewie and Luke, Rey caught sight of Finn and Poe, gaping at the scene that was unfolding before them.

"That's enough," Came Han's voice, bringing the room to a standstill. "This is idiotic. You've been in the same space for less than fifteen minutes, and already you're trying to kill each other! Chewie, knock it off, you damn overgrown Ewok! Luke. We need to talk. There's something deeper going on here, and if you would give him a chance, Ben was going to tell you; not that you'd believe him if he did."

"Tell me, then. What's going on, Han?" Luke put his cybernetic hand on Chewie's elbow. "Stand down, buddy. Lets just hear him out, okay?" Chewie growled softly in assent.

Ben stood with a gasp of pain and staggered into Rey, where he remained, panting with his face pale and sweaty. "I have no memory of killing my Father," Ben said through gritted teeth. Luke looked sharply at his nephew. "And I don't mean I blocked it out. I remember deciding to hand my light-saber over, and the next thing I remember, it had been jammed through his chest," Ben's voice caught on the last word, and he could say no more.

"He's telling the truth, Luke. There was someone else behind his eyes. I could _feel_ Ben blank out. What about this Master Ren character. Is that something he can do?" Ben nodded mutely and looked to his father with gratitude in his eyes. "You want to tear someone's arms off, Chewie? Tear off Ren's; I get the feeling he's pulling a lot more strings than we realize. I think this guy can give people a _push_ and make them do whatever he wants; I'm not talking the Jedi mind trick, here. This is something more insidious. It reminds me of what Padme used to be able to do to Ben."

At this, Luke's eyes narrowed. "Well, it's all very...convenient...But;" He held up one finger here, "I'll reserve my judgment until I can see these supposed changes in you for myself. Until such time, I won't feel comfortable with you wandering my ship alone."

" _My_ ship, Master."

"Yeah; _her_ ship. I gave it to her, after all; besides, Chewie's kinda hung up on her. Aren't ya, you big furry oaf?" Chewie whined softly, his eyes shining. "I know. I miss you, too. Just take care of everybody, okay?" Chewie nodded as Han faded from sight. "I'll see you around, Kid."

In the silence of Han's departure, everyone shifted uncomfortably, until Rey broke the silence. "Come on; I've got to get you patched up. Again."

"I was serious, Rey. I don't want him wandering alone."

"Don't worry about that, Master. He won't be. I'll be with him." As they passed Finn and Poe, she reached out and took first Poe, then Finn by the hand, and squeezed gently. "It's going to be fine. Don't worry, you two."

Luke came in behind them as Rey lowered Ben onto a bench to begin tending his ribs. She dragged his tunic over his head as gingerly as she could, trying desperately to keep him from any further pain. She winced as his ribs shifted and the wave of nauseous pain rolled through them both. There was a long, shallow gash across his ribs where Chewie's arm had connected with Ben's chest. Rey sucked her breath in through her teeth and reached around for the emergency supplies. "Someone will have to share a room with him," Luke said as Rey dabbed some antiseptic on the gash. "I'm sure Rey has had more than enough of..."

Rey interrupted, "I'll share his room."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "What have you done, Ben? _What have you_ _ **done**_?"

Rey stood and glared defiantly at her Master; "What do you _think_ we've done? What did you expect? We've been in hiding together for nearly a month! He saved my life, multiple times, and I've returned the favor. Multiple times. He has tended my wounds, and I have helped him with his missing limbs. _What did you think would happen_?"

Luke stepped back in surprise at the ferocity of Rey's verbal onslaught. "So. This is your decision? You...and _him_?" From over Luke's shoulder, Rey saw Finn and Poe's eyes grow wide, and their jaws go slack as they began to grasp the implications. In some distant corner of her mind, Rey thought that they both looked something like landed fish. It would have been immensely funny if the circumstances had been different.

" _We've_ made our decision. There's no going back for us, now. Search out our Force connection, Master. See for yourself what we've _done_." Rey turned on her heel and sat down on the bench beside Ben and took his hand in her own. Ben lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. _Thank you, Rey. It means a great deal to me, what you've just done._ Rey could feel the raw emotion behind the simple words. She reached up with her free hand and gently stroked the scar on his face with her thumb. In response, Ben smiled and squeezed her hand. Luke came closer and laid his good hand on their joined ones, seeking out their Force Bond. His eyes narrowed as he sensed the depth and strength of the bond.

"I don't believe it," he whispered to himself, "Ben. Do you realized just how deep this bond goes?"

Ben tore his eyes away from Rey and rose awkwardly to his full height, so that he was looking down into his Uncle's eyes. "Yes, I do. The bond that Rey and I share now is as powerful as the one I once shared with Padme. I noticed it the day I lost my limbs. I _felt_ her injuries." Ben hesitantly lifted his hand and placed it on Luke's shoulder. "This has been good for me, Uncle. I've been able to talk about Padme. I haven't even said her name since she died. Please, Uncle. I'm trying to find my way back to the Light. She is instrumental in this for me."

Luke sighed and looked at Rey. "You are willing to give up the Jedi Order for him?" Rey nodded. "Very well. I'll trust your judgment. I just hope you two know what you're doing."

Rey finished patching up Ben's ribs and helped him get his tunic back on. "Lets get you some rest in a proper bed, shall we?" As they walked past Finn, he reached out and caught Rey's arm. Ben's eyes narrowed, and his temper crackled.

"Just be careful, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt. I care about you too much." Ben shouldered roughly past him as he limped to the living quarters.

"Rey. Let's go; I need a turn in the 'fresher before I crawl out of my skin. I haven't been properly clean in almost a month."

"I understand, Finn, but I trust him. He would rather lose his other arm than hurt me." She walked over to Ben and took his hand. Together, they made their way to the room that they would share. Rey helped Ben get his clothes off, and into the 'fresher. Rey dragged a stool into the 'fresher for Ben to sit on. Rey undid the buckles on the leg she had made for him, frowning as she pulled it off. "Why didn't you tell me it was causing you pain, Ben?"

"Honestly, it's been aching since it happened, so I didn't notice much difference." He frowned as Rey unwound the bandages from his leg. The new leg had rubbed the skin of his knee raw, and it was now bleeding freely.

"Wait right here; I'll go and get some fresh bandages for after the 'fresher." Rey rushed from their room to the med bay; she rummaged through quickly and found multiple rolls of fresh bandages and more antiseptic. She hurried back to their room with the bandages; she heard the 'fresher going, so she closed and locked the door and removed her own clothing. Ben looked over at her as she strode confidently towards him, pausing as he squeezed some soap onto a cloth. Rey smirked as his member began to harden just from the sight of her.

"Here, let me do that for you." Rey took the cloth from him, and began to scrub the dust and sweat from Ben's chest, back, and shoulders. She paid special attention to his left arm, taking care to be gentle. Smirking up at Ben, Rey lowered herself to wash his legs, again being gentle with his right leg. She took hold of his member with the cloth as Ben gasped and arched his back. Rey stood and slowly, sensually washed herself while Ben watched. He took hold of his own erection and slowly stroked it as he watched her. She felt herself grow wet at the sight.

Ben moaned as the water washed over Rey's curves, and reached for her. She let him pull her towards him, and lowered herself to take his length into her. Ben wrapped his arm around her back to pull her closer to him as she rocked her hips back and forth. She leaned her head back in ecstasy, exposing her throat. Ben licked her, just beneath her jawline, and pressed a kiss to the spot, feeling her moan vibrate through her chest. He trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone, then to her breasts. Rey cried out as Ben took her breast into his mouth, suckling gently, as he used his hand to pull her even tighter. Rey suddenly increased the rhythm of her hips, raising her hands to anchor her hands in his hair. Ben moaned in response, and laid his cheek against her heart, pumping his hips in time with hers. "Faster, Rey," he panted. He could feel his climax nearing, but he held it back until he felt Rey tighten around him. He pumped his hips erratically in a ragged rhythm, plunging as deeply into her warmth as his length would allow, and released his seed.

Rey rested her forehead against his, trembling. "We should really get to the bed and lie down," she mumbled into his hair. Ben nodded numbly. Rey slid off his lap and helped him stand, acting as a cane as he hopped over to the bed they were to share. He settled down onto it and held his right leg out for Rey to inspect. She quickly cleaned the stump and re-bound it before helping Ben swing his legs onto the bed, and climbing in beside him. Rey wrapped her arms around him and pillowed her head on his chest, sighing happily as they fell asleep, feeling completely safe for the first time in nearly a month.

*Author's Note***

Ah. Another chapter done. Hope you all enjoyed it. I'm completely stunned by the reaction to this story. I started this as just a silly little project to get my daydreaming out on paper, and I am humbled and touched that apparently it's not quite as silly as I thought. Thanks for reading, as ever!


	11. Chapter 11

***Author's Note***

Hello, all! I'm so sorry for the late update, but I wanted to do at least one more chapter today. This one gave me a bit of trouble, but I saw the movie again, and it fixed me right up! Another plot-heavy chapter, and a bit on the long-ish side, but I hope you enjoy!

The next morning, Rey woke first and unwound herself from Ben, smiling to herself. She dressed slowly, luxuriating in the feeling of being utterly un-rushed. Leaving their room, Rey quickly came across Finn and Poe; they both smiled at her as she came to sit beside them.

"How are you feeling, Rey?" Asked Finn. "And I suppose I should ask how Ben is doing."

Rey smiled, "I'm feeling much better, Finn. Ben's doing alright. He's hurting more than he lets on, but that's not terribly surprising; he's as stubborn as his father. He'll be alright once his leg heals, and we get him a proper one, as well as a new arm. He'll be so thrilled." Rey sighed at the thought.

Poe reached his arm around Rey's shoulders, "We were so scared when you ran off into the jungle and nobody heard from you after that. We figured he'd tracked you down and murdered you. So, what _did_ happen on Yavin 4?"

"He saved my life, Poe. I know you have little reason to trust him, or even like him for that matter, and I don't blame you in the slightest. But I've really gotten to know him in the last month or so," Poe nearly choked on his tea at this, "He's not at all like I expected. There's so much vulnerability under the mask. He's lost so much, and there's so much pain and anger over it. Some of it, he'll never recover form. But in many areas, he has improved so much that I hardly recognize him."

Finn spoke up, "All I need to know is this: Do you love him? I can't imagine you loving anyone who was totally beyond all hope."

Rey smiled as though she alone knew a wonderful secret, "I can't say quite yet, but I care deeply for him. I'll not answer that question properly until I've told Ben how I feel. I hope you understand, Finn."

Finn nodded; "If you two haven't had that conversation yet, then that's the best answer I can expect, but I think I already know what the answer will be. In that case, I, at least, will do my level best to help Ben whenever I can. I know he means a great deal to you, and I'll try to be welcoming. For you; not necessarily for him, just yet. But we've got a few days yet before we reach D'Qar. Who knows what might happen between now and then?' Finn smiled warmly at Rey and held out his hand for her; Rey took it, and Finn pulled her close into a friendly hug.

"Let me ask you something, Finn," began Poe, "is the Kylo Ren on this ship the same Kylo Ren you served under?"

Finn frowned; "Well, I'm not sure who that man sleeping in there is, but he's definitely not Kylo Ren. We're dealing with someone entirely new here. The Kylo Ren I served under would kill you just for seeing his face. I don't think Kylo Ren even exists anymoe."

Just then, Rey felt the brush of Ben's mind. "He's awake," she said, "I'd better go help him up."

When Rey entered their room, she found Ben sitting upright, waiting for her. "Have a nice chat with the boys?" He teased. Rey nodded as she took his leg into her lap and re-attached the lower half.

"Be nice. They're just worried about me. They want to make sure I'm...taken care of."

Ben nodded. "I know. I suppose it's...sweet, in an obnoxious sort of way. It's been a long time since I was around _normal_ people. I guess that's what they do. They care about each other and drive each other crazy, but that's sort of the point, isn't it? People drive you nuts, but you still care about them."

Rey laughed, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, help me up. I'm hungry." Rey finished tightening the straps that held the prosthetic in place and helped Ben to his feet. They walked together to the lounge area, and found Finn and Poe already eating. They paused as the pair walked in, and Finn pushed two plates towards them.

"I figured you two would be up soon, so I saved some for you. Hope it's not completely disgusting."

Ben laughed. "I've been eating _Rey's_ cooking for the last month." He ducked as Rey swung at him. "Lizards, mostly. But then, that's not her fault. That's all there was on that forsaken planet." Rey shook her head at him, chuckling.

"It's weird, seeing you two so completely comfortable with each other. I'm used to the two of you trying to kill each other; I guess a month can really change everything, can't it?" He cleared his throat and straightened. "Ben; I've come to a decision. I'm going to try. I don't know how long it's going to take, and I'm not sure if I'll ever trust you, but I'm going to try to be cordial, at least."

"Well; I appreciate your...candor. I know you have little to no reason to trust me, Poe. But I will do my best to earn that trust." They ate their meal in silence until Luke entered the room and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder.

"I think it would be a good idea for the three of us to meditate together. And for me, personally, it might help alleviate some of my fears where Ben is concerned."

Ben nodded; "I think that is an excellent idea, Uncle. It should be restful. I always found your presence reassuring when I was younger. I'm finished, if Rey is ready." At Rey's nod, Ben rose from the small table and offered her his hand.

The three settled themselves in a triangle on the floor, each in the position most comfortable for them. They took a deep breath and together were submerged in the Force. They drifted, timeless, thoughtless, waiting for the Force to show them what they needed to know. They may have been under for days, or only moments; they could not tell. But suddenly, the three of them were _pulled_ to where they needed to be, and were invisible witnesses to an unexpected scene.

 _Supreme Leader Snoke glided smoothly into his Master's anti-chamber, taking a moment to straighten his robes and breathe deeply. He knelt before the dias on which his Master stood, with his back to the chamber_

 _"_ _Master...Our men have...failed to recapture Kylo Ren...The knight we sent was...easily dispatched by Kylo Ren and his..._ _ **pet**_ _." He waited with baited breath. Perhaps this would be the day he pressed his luck too much. Master Ren's hand twitched in irritation._

 _"_ _She's just a girl. One insignificant little scavenger girl with delusions of grandeur." Ren turned to face his feckless Apprentice. "How is it that they have escaped us for so long? We are Sith, you and I. The most powerful creatures in the galaxy, and yet; one scavenger girl and one faithless Knight have managed to lay waste to our forces every time we try to re-acquire them! The boy is missing two of his limbs, for pity's sake! I grow weary of them making me look like a fool. But you, old man..._ _ **You**_ _are worse by far..." Ren's hand shot out, aimed at Snoke. Lightning flew from his hand and hit Snoke dead in the chest; he crumpled, screaming and writhing. Ren laughed cruelly. "I've always loved the sound of screaming. It's just so..._ _ **restful**_ _" Ren lifted his hand again, and Snoke was lifted off the floor and flung across the room into the far wall. "You will not fail me again, Snoke. You should have known your charge was being seduced by the Light. And yet, here we are. Leave me, Snoke. And for your sake, my foolish Apprentice, I hope you find them soon."_

 _Snoke stood with some difficulty and bowed to his Master, "Of course, Master Ren. It will be as you command." Snoke glided out of the chamber, grateful to be alive. He made his way to his throne and carefully draped his robes over it. Just as he finished settling, his chamber door wooshed open, and General Hux entered to kneel respectfully before him. "Well, General? What excuse...do you have for me...today?"_

 _Hux trembled at the poorly-disguised rage in the Supreme Leader's voice. "They were ready for us, my Lord. Somehow, they knew we were coming. The_ Millennium Falcon _arrived just in time to save them."_

 _"_ _And what excuse do you...have for the death of...one of my Master's Knights? They are...a cripple and a scavenger...girl, and yet I have lost...seven Knights to them! I want...their heads on...platters. Bring them...before me...my Master wants...to watch them die...slowly. You are...dismissed, General. This is...your_ _ **final**_ _chance."_

With a gasp, the three snapped back to themselves. Finn, Poe, and Chewie came rushing into the room at the sound. Luke looked at his nephew and Rey with an eyebrow raised. "And here I thought _Ben_ had a temper. Apparently yours is nothing compared to Master Ren's temper."

"Well, it looks like they're not terribly pleased about our escape," noted Rey sarcastically. "Somehow, I expected Snoke to be more intimidating, I think. How long were we out, Finn?"

"Well, it's been about four hours. We were just starting to wonder if you'd all fallen asleep," Finn smiled wryly.

"I'm not sure about the two of you, but I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep. Can you three handle the _Falcon_ while Rey, Ben, and I rest?" Finn and Poe exchanged a glance and nodded.

Rey and Ben stood, stretching out the kinks that had developed. They worked their way towards their bedroom, clumped over to the bed, and collapsed upon it. They were asleep within moments.

The next morning, they were sitting in the cockpit while Luke had is morning meditation. They sat talking; telling stories and silly anecdotes. Even Ben seemed to be enjoying himself, until Poe asked, "So, I knew your father pretty well, and I know your mother very well. How does someone raised with so much love turn out the way you did?" Rey looked stunned, and glared in Poe's direction. "I mean, I heard you say something about some girl named Padme that died. Who was she? An old girlfriend or something?"

Ben leaned forward, "She was my twin. She was murdered by Supreme Leader Snoke when she refused to join him in the Dark Side. I vowed to never again fall prey to the weakness of the Light. Now, of course, I see that I was foolish. I can never undo the things that I've done, but I can do my best to set right what I can." Poe leaned back, thinking hard about Ben's answer.

Two days later, they jerked out of Lightspeed and began their approach to D'Qar. Rey guided the _Falcon_ smoothly onto a landing pad, and they began to ready themselves for departure. Rey was looking forward to being back in civilization. Ben, however, was understandably nervous. He hadn't seen his mother in many years.

Luke was the first to reach the bottom of the boarding ramp, and his sister was by his time in the blink of an eye. Finn, Poe, and Chewie were next; at last, Ben knew he could no longer delay the inevitable. He took Rey's hand and together, they stepped out into the light. The effect was instantaneous. The assembled crowd went deathly silent. Many that were nearby took a few steps backwards, and a few even made signs to ward off evil. Ben sighed and continued down the ramp, stopping at the bottom as his mother's eyes snapped to his own. She glanced back at her brother, and Ben sensed everything that Luke had gleaned during transit from Ord Biniir to D'Qar, and all that he had learned from meditating with Rey. His mother's eyes narrowed as she looked back at her son. Slowly, the two began to walk towards each other. At last, Leia's mouth turned up in a genuine smile, and she ran the last few steps to her son. Ben grunted in surprise and pain from his damaged ribs before he chuckled softly and brought his arm up to give his mother a gentle squeeze.

"I've missed you, son."

Ben felt tears come to his eyes as he wrapped his arm more tightly around his mother. "I missed you, too. I'm home, now, Mother. I'm not going anywhere." He took a step, and his face paled.

Leia's eyes narrowed. "Well, Rey, this is quite the clever contraption you built for my son, but he needs proper limbs. If it's alright with you, Ben, I'll take you immediately to get them replaced."

Ben smiled, "I was hoping you'd say that. Will you be alright, Rey?" Rey nodded, and leaned in for a kiss. Leia stiffened in surprise, and they could hear gasps and murmurs from the assembled crowd.

Rey turned to go with Finn and Poe as Leia led her son to the medical wing. The two said nothing, but reveled in each others' presence. Leia had her arm around her prodigal son, and her head resting on his arm; Ben towered over her, and she couldn't quite reach his shoulder. They entered the medical wing, and Leia ordered them to tend her son, accepting no arguments. Ben was rushed into a sterile, white room, and laid down on an equally sterile metal table. His final thought before the anesthetic took effect was of Rey, and he smiled as he slid under into unconsciousness.

***Author's Note***

Ahhhh. Finally, Leia and Ben are reunited! What did you think? Thanks, as ever, for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

***Author's Note***

Okay, so, super short chapter this morning, but I found myself short on time. I still wanted to put _something_ up, though, so here you go!

When Ben woke, he was disoriented at first. He reached for Rey, and found she was not there. His eyes shot open, and he found himself in a sterile medical room. Slowly, the memory returned to him. As he sat slowly up, he noticed an unaccustomed weight on his left arm. Looking down, he saw a new metallic hand protruding from his tunic. Curious, he tried wiggling the fingers on that hand; they moved. Thrilled with his new discovery, Ben moved the sleeve of the tunic back and saw that it had been fused with his arm, just below the elbow; he'd been concerned that they might have to cut some of the existing arm away to be able to install a new, permanent arm. He was pleased to see that his fears had been unfounded. He ran his right hand over the new arm, marveling in the fact that, though it was metal, it was not cool to the touch; in fact, it felt warm. Ben glanced down to see that the blankets no longer laid flat where his right leg should be, and he eagerly tore the blankets away to see his new leg. It was sleek and refined, where the leg Rey had built him had been crude, but functional. Ben wiggled his toes, the rotated his ankle, and finally bent his knee and ran his right hand over the new leg. He was pleased with the way the new limbs looked, but he wanted to try to walk.

Carefully, Ben swung his legs over the side of the bed and set his feet gingerly on the floor, with a _clink_. Gripping the bed with his right hand, he slowly stood, waiting as his equilibrium righted itself. He took a careful step, and found that his new leg supported him beautifully and painlessly. He walked slowly back and forth across his little room, with _clink-thump clink-thump clink-thump_. There was a mirror on the other end of his room, and he strode over, taking in his altered appearance. He found that he quite liked the effect of the liquid silver limbs. Just then, the door swished open and a doctor walked in, smiling at him. "I'm glad to see you need no help getting around; many of my patients required help learning how to walk again.

Ben smiled in return, "I grew accustomed to an artificial leg while on Ord Biniir. Thank you, Doctor. I am quite impressed. I truly appreciate what you've done for me," he said graciously.

The doctor blinked in surprised; "It was nothing, Master Solo; I was only doing my job. There is a private lounge just outside this door; your mother saw to it that some clothes were sent over for you. She had the idea you might be tired of wearing plain black robes. Whenever you're ready, you are free to leave."

"Thank you," Ben replied. He stared at his reflection for a few moments more before he turned and left the little room. He found the clothes the doctor had mentioned, and quickly got dressed. His mother had provided for him a dark green silken tunic, trousers of a slightly lighter shade, boots of a pale cream, and a matching belt, all of the finest materials. Ben glanced at his reflection again; he quite liked the effect of the dark material against his skin. It made his eyes stand out, and seemed to warm his skin, somehow. Well, his mother always had known fashion. He sighed and reached out with his mind to find Rey. _Stay where you are; I'm coming to you_ , he sent to her.

Ben walked through the halls of the Resistance base, having a definite sense of deja-vu. He felt like a child again, walking through the halls of the Senate chambers his mother had frequented throughout his youth; the only difference was then, Padme had walked beside him. At last, he found her; she was in a meeting with his mother, Chewbacca, Luke, Poe, and Finn. The guards at the door closed ranks, attempting to block his path. "Really?" Ben raised an eyebrow at them, and had them glancing nervously at each other. They seemed to think better of it, and stood aside. Ben waved a lazy hand, and the doors opened. Everyone inside froze, mid-sentence as he strode confidently into the room. He could sense a very great deal of tension, but there were a couple of bright points of amusement it was one of these that he headed towards.

Rey stood beside his mother, watching him walk towards her, as though he belonged there. She was wearing robes of pale gray, and he thought that he had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. He stopped in front of her saying nothing. He slowly drew his left arm up, and gently, carefully, laid his hand against her cheek. As she leaned into his hand, he brought his right hand up so that he could tilt her face up to his. He smiled softly at her as he leaned down to kiss her, chuckling slightly at the sense of scandal that permeated the room. His mother cleared her throat quietly, and Ben saw that she was smiling happily at him.

"We're planning an attack on Du'Tang Station; is there anything we should know?"

Ben glanced at their plans. "I was stationed there. Are you sure you want to bite off such a large chunk? That particular station is well-guarded. It's surrounded by a fleet of Super Star Destroyers, each with their own fleet of Tie Fighters. And let's not even discuss the army that is stationed inside. What are your resources?" His mother raised an eyebrow and motioned for the readout of their resources to be brought up. "Hmm. Well, I would wait on this assault, if I were you. I think I could provide a far better target; one that would potentially swell our ranks tenfold."

Leia looked sharply at her son. "Are you certain? Our information says the station has been emptied."

"I'm sure. Du'Tang is one of their most important strategic bases; they would never leave it unprotected. I know of an planet-side base that they have always been arrogant about; they assume no one would be bold enough to take it."

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Endor. They're using it now to train Force-Sensitives." At this, there were gasps and mutters all around the table. "They have never protected them very well; it may be the best option at this point, but we should plan for the worst-case scenario that they would have added to their defenses since my...defection."

"Very well; tell us everything you know."

***Author's Note***

Well, a bit of plot progression, but nothing massive just yet. Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

***Author's Note***

Okay, so; I had a bit more time this evening, so hopefully there's more to this chapter. I felt that Ben and Rey hadn't really had any _alone_ time in a while, so there's a good bit of lemon-y goodness at the end of this chapter.

"But Endor?" Leia asked in surprise. "I can't imagine the Ewoks would allow that."

Ben shook his head, "They didn't. They started a war over it; their population was decimated. Master Ren had Snoke order the Knights to definitively end the war...Which they did. Withing three days of their arrival, they had destroyed three-quarters of the Ewok population."

"Ben, were you...I mean, you didn't," Leia was unable to finish.

Ben wrapped his arm around his mother's shoulders. "No, I had no part in it. I was on Jakku at the time. It was deemed 'unimportant.' And still, I felt it, even from so great a distance. It caused a great disturbance in the Force," his audience wondered at the heavy sorrow in Ben's voice. "I know you were always fond of the Ewoks. I'm sorry, Mother. However, if we can rid the planet of the First Order, perhaps their population can recover." At this, he gave his mother's shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Now. There are two separate bases on Endor. One holds all the Force-Sensitives above the age of fifteen, the other holds the rest. The younglings will be guarded far more heavily. The First Order will believe that the older 'Apprentices' will be able to defend themselves, and they are correct. In fact, it is a crucial part of my plan. My theory is that the majority of the older Force-Sensitives are old enough to be resistant to the training. In fact, many of these were taken from their families and will wish to return. I know for a fact that many of the adults were separated from their children." Leia began to smile.

"So, you think that's how we can gain their assistance? Ben, that's actually somewhat brilliant How large of an attack force will you need?"  
Ben thought for a moment, "Definitely myself, Rey, and Uncle Luke. We'll need every Force user we've got. I'll accept any volunteers, but I should think, worst case scenario, a small force of one hundred should do it. Now, if this works, we may well gain an entire army of Force Users. If that happens, we will need a way to train them. Luke can't do it alone; he'll need mine and Rey's help."

At this, there was a riotous outbreak in the briefing room with everyone shouting objections at the tops of their lungs. Cries of "We can't trust him," and "So you fan turn them to the Dark Side" rang through the chamber. But one man, who climbed on top of the briefing table, managed to make himself heard above the din. "You want us to let you near those people? Why? So you can drive them to early graves, just like your sister?"

Ben's face went bone white, and with a choked cry of rage and pain, flung his arm out, and the man was lifted off his feet and slammed into the opposite wall. Leia looked stricken; Rey was doubled over, reacting to Ben's pain as it rebounded across their Force Bond.

"What do you know about it?" Ben screamed as his eyes filled with rears, and he lifted the man again, taking a step closet. "What do you know about Padme? How dare you talk about her like you knew her? Did you feel her die? Did you feel the light-saber tear through her heart? You know _nothing_! You have _**no right**_!" Rey placed her hands on his shoulders as his hand fell, and tears streaked his face, his voice catching in his throat.

Trembling, the man stood. "I know what I've heard. You drove her mad. Snoke did your sister a kindness when he took her away from your influence! You probably don't even care that she's dead!"

Ben lurched forward again. " _I DIED THAT DAY!_ " Ben bellowed. "I did all that I could to follow her into death, but I just wasn't strong enough! Why do you think I was in a coma for a week? Her death was so painful that I thought it would kill me. I _wanted_ it to kill me. I hae missed her every moment of every day since then," At this point, words utterly failed Ben, and he fell slowly to his knees, tears soaking the neck of his tunic. Rey knelt beside him, and put his head on her shoulder, feeling Ben's pain tear through her.

Leia stepped forward, her eyes wet, and glanced at her own twin, whose face was obscured by his right hand. "Are you quite proud of yourself? How dare you? That is the event that tore my family apart, Captain. I don't care what your feelings are for my son. He. Is. Still. My. Son. And that is my _daughter_ you are talking about. Did you ever consider the pain it caused me? Or Luke? And one more thing; just look at what you did to Rey! She feels everything Ben does because of their Force Bond. His heart isn't the only one you've damaged." Poe and Finn stepped forward defensively as the Captain took an abashed step forward. Finn's hands balled into fists as he prepared to defend his friend.

"I'm sorry, General. It's just...my son..."

"Get. Out." Snapped the General. "Until you realize that your family is not the only one that was destroyed, I don't need or want your council." She dried her eyes on her sleeve and straightened her tunic. "Furthermore, you will trust my son because I _tell you to_. My brother says that Ben has truly turned from the Dark Side and the First Order. If nothing else, I trust his judgment. This meeting is adjourned." At this, the crowd slowly dissipated; all that could be heard was the sound of Ben's anguished moans of despair as the sobbing abated. Leia knelt beside her son. "I miss Padme, too, Ben."

Ben rose slowly, drying his face. "I'm sorry, Mother. I should never have interrupted."

"No! I'm glad you fif. From what you've said, it seems like your idea is the better one. And, don't be angry with me, but it might have been a good thing to show my Commanders that you do have emotions, other than anger and hate. You've lost people you loved, too. Now; why don't you finish going over this plan of yours with me?"

Ben smiled and pulled his mother close, "Thank you, Mother. I don't deserve your forgiveness; I am, however, grateful for it."

Leia scoffed at her son, "You deserve what I _say_ you deserve. Mother's privilege." For the next two hours, Leia, her son, Rey, Finn, Poe, and Luke remained cloistered in the briefing room, deciding the particulars of their plan.

By the end, they had all agreed on the best course of action. "All right. I think we've done all the damage to this thing that we can manage. Go and get some rest, all of you."

"Mother? Can you have some food sent to mine and Rey's room?" Leia shot her son an understanding smile and nodded. With that, Ben and Rey left Leia and the others to see to the rest of their plans. Rey led them quickly to their quarters; as the door shut behind them, Ben turned Rey in a quick spin. "Alone, at last," Ben said as he crushed his mouth eagerly to Rey's. He deftly slid his right hand under her tunic, and she shivered in pleasure. He removed first her outer robe, then her tunic. Ben trailed his cybernetic hand slowly up her rib cage, across her belly, and up to her breast, marveling that he could actually _feel_ with this hand. Rey hastily undid Ben's belt and slid his tunic over his head, panting in excitement. She hurriedly trailed kisses down his jawline, neck, and collarbone, stopping only when she reached his chest. She licked his nipple and made him groan, seeing with satisfaction that he was hardening for her.

Suddenly, there was a beep at the door. Ben groaned in irritation, and stalked to the door. C3PO stood there, holding a tray of food. "Ah, Master Solo! It is so good to see you. The prin...uh, General has asked me to bring this for you."

Ben took the tray from the ever-over-helpful droid. "Thanks, 3PO. That's really...helpful. Now go find something useful to do." Ben slid the door shut on the droid's scandalized "Oh, I never!" and hurriedly set the tray on a desk in the corner of the room. Rey collapsed on their bed, laughing hysterically. Ben was across the room in three long strides, stripping off Rey's trousers. He lowered himself between her thighs, and her laughter turned to shuddering gasps as he plunged his tongue into her warmth, relishing in the taste of her. She moaned as his tongue forced its way deeper into her.

"Please, Ben, please," Ben stood quickly and removed his own trousers, hands shaking. He climbed onto the bed, hovering over Rey as his cybernetic hand traced her curves; Rey shuddered with pleasure under his touch. He lowered his hand slowly to cover her entrance, and slowly pumped his fingers into her. Faster and faster he pumped them, until he felt Rey clench around his fingers. He pulled his fingers from between her thighs and licked them sensuously. He lifted himself over Rey again, guiding himself gently into her welcoming center. She cried out in ecstasy as he began to pump his hips as he moaned in pleasure. Rey cried out his name, not caring if anyone heard them. Faster and faster Ben pumped, beating out a frantic rhythm as he pounded his length into her. At last, he felt both of their climaxes approaching, and they flew over the edge together. As he finished, Ben collapsed against Rey, his chest heaving. As they lay, tangled in each others' limbs, their stomachs growled in tandem. Laughing, they scrambled out of bed to see what Leia had provided them.

There was a carafe of wine, and a luxurious spread of various meats and cheeses. They helped themselves to liberal portions of each, and poured goblets full of the wine. They devoured every morsel of food that had been on the plate in short order, and sat in satisfaction as they drank their wine, still completely naked, and not caring in the least. They drank in silence until, without a word spoken, they reached for each other again. Rey's hand clasped around Ben's manhood, which promptly began to rise to the occasion, and Ben lowered himself to tease Rey's nipple with his tongue. They both stood and quickly cleared the remains of their meal, taking special care not to spill the remaining wine.

Rey threw her legs around Ben's waist, and he clasped her buttocks in response. She crushed her mouth to his eagerly, as she ground her hips against his in anticipation. Ben lowered her carefully to the bed and slowly, gently pumped his hips against hers. Rey sighed and raised her own hips to grant him better access. Deeper and deeper Ben plunged, keeping the same slow, torturous rhythm. Finally, they brought each other to a slow, but powerful climax, and fell into sleep as they finished.

***Author's Note***

Awwwww. I had so much fun writing the last bit; hope you enjoyed it, too. Also, I hope you don't think Ben's meltdown was too much. I wanted to show a different side of Ben that most of these fanfics don't show. Thanks for reading, all!


	14. Chapter 14

***Author's Note***

Okay; so. Super long chapter tonight. Loads of plot, and so on, but epic battle scene, also!

Ben woke the next morning to find himself sill intertwined with Rey. As he watched her sleep, he knew that his heart had never been so full. He had never felt this way about anyone; he expected to feel fear at the realization. But he didn't. Instead, he felt a sense of peace, and even joy. He smiled and wound himself tighter around Rey. There came a beep at the door, and Rey stirred. Ben hurriedly gestured at the door, shushing the intruder.

"Oh, crap! I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing that," whispered Finn. "I think I've been scarred for life, now." Ben shook with silent laughter.

"What do you need?" He whispered back.

"Your mother wants you. Both of you. We're getting ready to depart for Endor."

Ben and Rey grunted an affirmative, and Ben clamored out of bed as Finn hastily exited the room. Rey took something made from the same gray fabric as er robes, and laid it on the bed. "Your mother sent these for you; she thought we should match. I mean, it makes sense; we're not Jedi, but we aren't Sith, either. We're...neutral. Try them on."

Ben shook out the pile of fabric to find a set of robes that exactly matched the one Rey was hastening into. He slipped first into the loose trousers, slipping the fitted dark gray boots on over them. Next, he pulled on the tunic, belt, and robes before turning to examine himself in the mirror. From top to bottom, the robes darkened from the palest of grays to nearly black; it gave the impression that he was wearing liquid mercury. Ben found that he rather liked the effect. He clipped his cross-section light-saber onto his belt regretfully.

"I need a new light-saber," he pondered as Rey wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek on his arm.

As though in answer to his musings, the door to their room wooshed open to admit Luke, who carried with him a satchel that seemed rather weighty."Sorry for no knocking, but I wanted this done quickly. So; without further ado, here." (Luke thrust the satchel at Ben.) He glanced at his Uncle, confused. There was... _something_ inside; it was calling to him softly, seductively. Ben opened the satchel and gasped. Slowly, reverently, he lifted out a flawless Force crystal; glancing into he satchel, he found enough saber-hilt parts for at lease _two_ new light-sabers.

"Uncle...Thank you. I am very touched." Ben managed to choke out.

"I figured you wouldn't want to keep your old light-saber, and you always did favor a two-handed fighting style. There should be plenty of time between now and when we reach Endor."

The three of them left together and headed for the mess hall. As they entered, a hush fell over the assembled mass of people, followed by the hiss of whispers that spread throughout the hall like wildfire, accompanied by fretful glances in his direction.

"Are you okay? I can tell you've been hurting since yesterday. Is there anything I can do?" Rey asked anxiously.

Ben smiled down at her and cupped her face with his cybernetic hamd, "You did plenty last night." Rey blushed at his words; Ben chuckled and kissed the top of her head. They glanced up as movement just in front of them caught their attention.

"Sir. Here is the readout for the personnel accompanying you to Endor." Ben took the proffered datapad and began to look it over. "Also, Master Solo," Ben looked up with a raised eyebrow, "I would like to apologize for our...altercation yesterday. The thins I said about your sister; they were uncalled for and cruel." The Captain flushed with shame as he spoke.

Ben cocked his head to the side, considering him. _Ben, he's being genuine. I can sense his embarrassment, and...something else. He wants to ask you something._ Cam Rey's thoughts. _I agree_ , he responded.

Ben sighed and the tension slid off of his face as he smiled wryly. "I understand. I was expecting some difficulty when I returned to my mother's side. While we are on the subject, I also owe you an apology. I could have killed you yesterday. I should have better control of myself; please accept my apology as well, Captain..." he raised his eyebrows in question as he held out his right hand.

"Morris...Captain Morris, and of course I accept your apology," he replied as he shook Ben's hand. "I had a favor to ask of you; I know we're full up, but I was hoping I could accompany you. I think it would be good for me to get to know you; to fight beside you."

Ben smirked, " _You_ think? You mean _my mother_ thinks?" He glanced a this mother, who was watching the exchange anxiously. "As it happens, I agree with my mother on this. I'd be glad to have you, Captain. I have many sins for which I must atone."

Morris looked surprised. "Thank you, sir. I look forward to the learning experience." Ben dipped his head graciously as Captain Morris snapped a sharp salute before returning to his breakfast, looking for all the world like a man who had just escaped the firing squad.

Just then, Poe hurried over to them, "We're all sitting over there," he pointed to a nervous-looking group. "They all wanted to get a look at you; most of them have only ever heard horror stories about you. I thought it would be a good opportunity to begin briefing them. Sir." Poe added with a sheepish grin.

"Thank you, Poe. That is an excellent idea." Poe looked bemused at the compliment."

"Nope; still not sure what to think of you."

Ben smiled. _Captain; please come join us for a preliminary briefing over breakfast._ Ben watched, with some amusement, as Captain Morris' head shot up and snapped around to catch Ben's eye, upon which he promptly paled. He leaned over to mutter some excuse to his friends and colleagues, and hurried over. "Welcome, Captain." Ben said, his eyes sparkling with suppressed laughter, sitting as the Captain came near. "I didn't mean to startle you; I only thought it would be faster for me to summon you mentally." Rey caught his eye; _Liar_ , she thought at him. The corner of his mouth twitched in response. Ben brought up the area map of the Endor bases on the datapad and handed it over to Poe. "Please circulate this among the troops. The datapad Poe is bringing around to each of you now has the planetary readouts of the Endor bases. The larger of the two is the youngling training ground. The smaller is our first target. The plan is to beak the older students out first; they will be able to help us liberate the younglings. The First Order will have at least two contingents of Stormtroopers a each base, but I want to plane for four contingents. There will also be Knights of Ren stationed there, both as teachers and guards, which is why Rey, Uncle Luke, and I will go in first. Each of the encampments is surrounded by a massive wall; only a Master of the Force could manage to clear it with a Force-Jump, which is why they aren't worried about escapees. Not to mention the few that have tried are cut down before they even reach the wall to try. Make no mistake; this is no easy task. I will do my level best to make sure that as many of you return as is possible. But I won't lie to you: some of you will die. If you aren't willing to continue, you are free to go." No one stood to go; they seemed transfixed by Ben's voice. Ben nodded.

"Very well. Meet me in the briefing room in twenty minutes, with your gear. We leave immediately after the full briefing." Ben caught Rey's gaze _I must confess, I am impressed. They are, every last one, ready to die for people they most likely have never met. I'd forgotten what it is like to be so deeply cared for by strangers._ Rey smiled and brought her forehead to rest against his.

"That was a pretty nice speech, Sir. I think you've impressed them so far. I hope you meant what you said about protecting them." Said Poe, giving Ben a sidelong glance.

"Of course I did, Poe. Is the shuttle ready?"

"Yes, sir! Only a few last-minute things to see to before we take off. Am I attending the brief?"

Ben nodded, "You have a crucial role, and I need to be sure everyone, including you, is clear on the plan."

"Of course, sir. I'll go gather my things." Poe hurried off in the direction of his quarters. Only Finn, Luke, Rey, and Ben were left sitting at the table now.

"He's beginning to like you, Ben. I'm impressed. You certainly seem to have turned over a new leaf. I should not have doubted you." Luke smiled fondly at his nephew.

"That's alright, Uncle. I need to go and prepare for the final brief." Rey went with him to the briefing room to await the others, clasping his hand. He could sense from her that she knew full well how dangerous this mission was, and she did not want to waste a single moment she had with Ben, just in case one of them did not survive. The thought made him shudder. Ben set his satchel on the table, turning to her, and pulling her gently around to face him. "Rey, there's something I need to say, and I need you to listen." She nodded, confusion on her face. "Rey, before you, I was lost and drowning in my own darkness. But the first time I met you, it was like someone had left open a window in a house left too long sealed up. There was a thin splinter of light where before, there had been none. You shone in the darkness like a beacon. At first, I hated you for your light. But then, I was faced with the decision to have you dead, and I realized that I had come to depend on that light. I saw your defiant glare in my mind, and I knew then that I could never allow any harm to come to you. You have been my redemption, my center, and my Light. Wherever you go, I will go, and if you die, I will follow with the souls of as many of our enemies as I can bring with me, as quickly as I can. I love you, Rey, as I have never loved anyone."

Rey's breath caught in her chest, and she realized tears were running down her face. "I love you, too, Ben," she gasped. Ben let out a watery laugh and kissed her. The universe could have ended just then, and neither of them would have cared; never had there been such joy in such dark and uncertain times. There was a nervous tittering coming from the other end of the room, followed by Poe's loud exclamation of "Awwwwwwwww!" That ended the nervousness as the whole room burst into laughter, followed shortly by Ben and Rey.

"How long were you lot standing there," Ben asked.

"Pretty much from the word 'go'," Said Poe, still laughing. Ben sent a low-level Force blast towards him, so that it felt like a burst of air in his face, which sent Poe into hysterics again.

"That will do," came Luke's gentle but authoritative voice from the door. "I am glad there is such joy to be found in such a time, but now is the time to be serious; Ben?"

"You're right, Uncle. Ben waved his hand and the table whirred to life, displaying the readouts of the surface of Endor. A you can see, I have pinpointed the two bases. The more heavily guarded of the two is also the smaller, though it certainly contains the more precious prize. Our number one priority is to get as many of the children out alive as possible. We are going to liberate the older Force-Sensitives first, based on the assumption that they will want to help us fight; many will want to return to their families. Some may even have children or younger siblings in the youngling camp. Our most enthusiastic goal is to rescue all that we can get out alive and bring them here for training. Luke, Rey, and I will Force-Jump over the wall and hold off the enemy forces until we can open the door to admit you, and the process will be repeated when we reach the younglings. Are there any questions? No? Good. Proceed to the shuttle. Poe? Please finish prepping the shuttle immediately." The company saluted sharply as they turned to go.

Fifteen minutes later, a crowd was assembled in front of the shuttle as they finished filing onboard. Ben saw his mother hurrying towards him and paused before entering the shuttle himself. She flung her arms around her son, "I love you, my son. You are the only child I have left. Make sure you make it home."

Ben smiled and pulled his mother closer. "Yes, ma'am," He replied into her hair. "Rey and I will see you when we get back." Ben turned and strode quickly into the shuttle. "Is everyone ready? Good. Poe! Let's get going." Ben kept his eyes on his mother's face as the shuttle's bay doors shut. He sank down onto the floor in a comfortable meditation stance and arrange his crystal and the hilt parts around him, closed his eyes, and began his meditation. Instantly, his crystal split into many different pieces and hovered slowly around Ben, rotating in slow circles with him as their center. Whether time passed or stood still, Ben would never be able to recall. Finally, he shot his hands forward and caught his two new light-sabers. He stood slowly and turned towards where he had sensed Rey waiting for him. He looked towards her and lit both sabers. "At last," Ben said, as though to himself, "I am whole once again." Ben removed his cross-section light-saber from his belt and Force-Threw it against a wall, where it shattered. He sighed in relief.

Rey beamed at him. "It's about time! You were under for three days. We're going to be making our approach in a few more hours. You should rest. You'll need it. Ben staggered, and he realized that he had little choice but to rest. For the rest of the trip, Ben slept peacefully, until he shot upwards. _Ren was pleased. Everything was going exactly as it had been planned._ Ben raced into the bay, chest heaving. "Ben, what's wrong?" Cried Rey.

"They know," he choked, "Somehow, they know we're coming. Rey...they're going to kill the children." Rey gasped. "How close are we to landing?"

"Not close enough," Rey replied shakily.

"Are we at least in the atmosphere?" Rey nodded. "Then get ready, my love. There's been a change of plan. Listen up! Things have changed. They know we're coming, and are planning to kill the children. Therefore, Luke, Rey, and I will jump now, hopefully landing in time to save the children. Don't worry about us, just come along behind. In theory, by the time you reach us, we will have the gates open for you."

With that, Ben strode confidently to the bay doors and opened them with a wave of his hand, took Rey's hand, and jumped out of the shuttle, clasping arms and legs to his side and bringing his legs together so that he looked like a man-sized arrow, vanishing into the inky black night. They hurtled towards the ground, all three using the Force to dramatically slow their speed. They somersaulted neatly in mid-air and landed neatly between several Knights of Ren and the children. Ben had a wolfish smile on his face when he shouted to the children, "Get behind me and _close your eyes_!" At that moment, one of the Knights lunged forward, and Ben neatly blocked the saber.

With that one movement, the spell seemed to break. The Knights lunged forward as one, and the children huddled behind Ben as Rey and Luke landed beside him. The two joined him and renewed their assault. Ben felt time and again the unmistakable bite of a light-saber in his shoulder, thighs, sides, and so on. It seemed that anywhere an enemy could reach, Ben had a small wound. One by one, they were managing to drop the Knights, but it wasn't fast enough. Finally, he sensed the others were in position. " _Now_ , Luke!" He cried. He watched his Uncle Force-Jump over the advancing Knights and land gracefully by the gates, which he threw quickly open before re-joining the fray. At long last, the battle seemed to turn in their favor. The Knights began to stumble backwards in the face of the ferocity of their onslaught. After what seemed like an eternity, there were only three Knights remaining. Rey countered her opponent's furious blows expertly, twirling her violet saber-staff first one way, then the other, and always stopping just in time to block her opponent's blade. After a complicated series of blows, she trapped her opponent's blow and jammed the other end of the staff into the Knight's gut. He crumpled to the ground, dead.

Luke was similarly handling his Knight. With his usual flair, Luke advanced far more than he defended. He moved with such grace and fluidity that it seemed as though he was dancing with the Knight, until with a final slash, the Knight fell and moved no more.

At last, only Ben's Knight remained. They circled each other like a pair of rabid dogs. "Traitor" said the Knight. Ben only smiled and made no reply. They lurched forward together, and sprung apart, testing each others' defenses. The Knight slashed, and Ben parried. Ben lunged, and the Knight knocked his blade neatly aside. Around them, they were oblivious that the battle had ended; the Stormtroopers all lay dead around them. The remaining fighters stood watching the deadly dance. Ben feinted high with his left and swung low with his left. He spun around, bringing his sabers down with all the strength he could muster, only to find each strike blocked or knocked neatly aside. At last, Ben lashed out with his left and neatly severed the Knight's right arm. Ben then spun and, with his right arm, cut through the Knight's neck; his head wobbled for a moment and then fell to the ground.

Still, Ben sensed that the surprises of the night were not yet over. With horror, he knew what their plan was. "They're going to kill the rest in their sleep!" Rey and Luke looked stricken, and the children began to cry. "Uncle! Calm the younglings! I have an idea. Rey, I need you!" Rey rushed over to him, and they sank onto the blood-churned ground. He took both her hands in his own, and together, they sank into the Force. She gave him a boost so that he could reach further. With no time to differentiate between child and adult, Jedi and Knight of Ren, trained, and untrained, Ben pushed his thoughts into every Force-Sensitive mind on Endor. _Wake. Wake up! GET UP! That's it. Get up. They're coming for you. They plan to murder you in your sleep! Wake up, and fight! Fight! Don't let them kill you so easily! Good! Hold out as long as you can; we're coming to get you!_ Ben sensed a great, boiling anger from the adult camp, and he knew that he had at least bought them a little time. _Poe! Come and usher the younglings into the shuttle, and bring us to the adult base. We must hurry or they shall be overrun by Knights!_ Ben and Rey came out of trance to find Poe already rushing the survivors into the shuttle.

"You might have asked nicely!" Poe joked, and Ben and Rey chuckled. They sprung up and raced to the shuttle.

"Ben managed to reach the adult Force-Sensitives and wake them up before they were murdered. They are fighting now, but I'm afraid they won't hold out for long." Rey shouted to the others. Together, Rey, Ben, and Luke rushed to the shuttle, and found themselves to be the lat ones to board.

"Poe! Take off and fly low. Leave the bay doors open. Hold on, everyone!" The shuttle lifted into the air, and before long, they were above the adults' camp. "Children! Stay here with Poe!" With that, Ben jumped again from the shuttle, and the three of them landed right in the thick of things. The adult Force-Sensitives grew heartened at the sight of three fully-trained Force Users and let out a ragged cheer, redoubling their attack. Together, the last of the Knights were dispatched, though there were many new wounds amongst the rescuers. Ben watched the last of the over-fifteen Force-Sensitives ambled docilely onto the shuttle, smiling to himself. As the shuttle took off, everyone seemed to realize that they had done it. A great cheer went up, in which Ben shared. He was reveling in the feel of Rey's mind so close to his own when he felt something was terribly wrong. Ben's back arched in pain as Master Ren's rage pulsed through him.

 _"_ _What do you mean, 'all the Force-Sensitives have been taken'?" Supreme Leader Snoke trembled before his Master's rage. "I warned you what it would mean if you failed me again!" With that, Ren brought his light-saber down and hacked off Snoke's head. "You have failed me for the last time, Apprentice."_

 _Master Ren watched Snoke's body fall to the ground. "I will find you myself, then...Kylo Ren..."_

***Author's Note***

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! As always, thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

***Author's Note***

I know, last night's chapter was massively long, so here's a nice, short little chapter. I wanted to end it on a happy note. ^_^

 _I will find you, Kylo Ren...The vision changed suddenly to a battlefield he had seen many times before. Rey stood across from him in the rain, her saber-staff still lit. He screamed into the wind and rain, "Why did it have to be her?" Rey fell to her knees, shaking her head. Ben looked down into her blank, tortured face..._ Ben sat bolt upright with a strangled shout and _Padme_ echoed through his head. Rey was instantly by his side. She put her hand on his shoulder, gently pulling him into her embrace. She stroked his hair as he slowly calmed. "What happened? What did you see?"

Ben took a deep breath and pulled away from Rey. "Master Ren. He's furious that we ruined his plans. He...he killed Snoke in his fury. Snoke is dead. Ren will now take direct control of the First Order, and that makes things very difficult for us. He's looking for me, specifically. But then, the vision...shifted. It was a battlefield. Bodies were everywhere, the ground was soaked in blood and rain, and..."  
Rey interrupted him, "You were holding a body in your arms, crying. I've had that vision in a dream, myself. What does it mean, Ben?"

Ben shook his head, heavily disturbed. "I don't know, Rey. But I don't like it. It just doesn't make any sense. I've thought for all these years that it was just a nightmare. But now, I'm not so sure. And if it's not just a dream, then the implications are devastating to me, personally. We'll discuss it further later. Where are we?"

Rey nodded in agreement. "We are currently back on the now-overcrowded shuttle, heading back to D'Qar. I have the datapad containing our losses." She held it out to him.

Ben heaved a heavy sigh. "Alright; give me the bad news. How many poor souls...This can't be accurate. Can it?" Rey beamed at him. "We didn't lose _anyone_?"

Rey shook her head. "I don't know how it's possible, but no; no dead. Nearly everyone was wounded, including you, me, and Luke. Many have lost limbs and many more will have terrible scars once they've healed. We even have a handful that are in comas caused by their injuries, but nobody has died. Yet. There are a couple who might, but we're working on them. Everyone wants to see you, Ben. They're saying you're a hero. Not a soul on this transport will ever question your loyalty again. They saw how hard you fought to save everyone. And just this once, _everybody_ lived." Ben leaned in to kiss her, wincing at the myriad of new wounds he had acquired.

"Lets go greet them, then." Ben stood an ambled out to the shuttle bay. As he emerged from the cockpit, where a small cot had been set up while he had recovered from his vision, a sudden silence settled on the crowded space. All at once, those that were able to stand came carefully towards him so as to avoid a stampede. Every one of them wanted to touch him; to shake his hand or pound him on the back. All Ben could sense from them was gratitude. They were all so grateful to be alive that some began to cry when they reached him. Luke reached him at last and beamed into his beloved nephew's face.

" _Now_ you're beginning to remind me of the nephew I love. I am, however, at something of a loss to explain the _lack_ of deaths," he continued, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "I've thought it over again and again, and the only explanation I could come up with is that you saved _everyone_. There was an undercurrent in the Force that I didn't pay much attention to during the blitz, but once I examined it, I realized what it was. It was _you_. You quite simply didn't _allow_ anyone to die; people found that wounds that should have been fatal suddenly weren't as bad as they first thought. _You_ did that. Didn't you?"

Ben flushed, "Yes. I promised that I would do all in my power to keep them alive. I knew you would disapprove if I told you. Rey knew, but only because she felt what I was doing."

Luke drew himself up in pride. "Well done, Ben. I am very proud of you. However; if you _ever_ do anything so stupid again, I'll turn your mother on you." Luke's eyes sparkled with mischief at the threat.

Ben drew back in mock-horror, "You wouldn't! Not my _mother_! You are a cruel man, Luke Skywalker." The pair stood watching each other with humor in their eyes, until neither could keep up the facade. Simultaneously, they doubled up, laughing hysterically, using each other for support to keep from falling over. Rey chuckled, shaking her head at them, as the rest of the bay caught on to the joke.

"Alright, everyone. Get some rest. We'll be landing on D'Qar within the hour." Ben's surprised thought came to her; _I was out for that long? I had no idea. I thought it was only a few hours._ Rey took Ben's hand and led him back to his cot. "I said everyone; I meant _everyone_." The shuttle's bay was filled with raucous laughter and catcalls as the pair returned to the cot and sat, heads close together, reveling in the peace of the moment. They laid down together, with Ben's arms wound tightly around her waist, and slept until Poe gently woke them.

"Hey, lovebirds; sorry to wake you, but we're coming in to land. Thought you'd like to be present," he laughed. Ben and Rey stood and headed for the bay's loading ramp. As they walked slowly down the ramp, hand-in-hand, a great cheer rose from the assembled crowd. Ben's eyes were drawn immediately to his mother, who was making her way through the crowd.

"I knew you could do it," she said as she reached them "I am so proud of you! Come. We have planning to do."

Ben glanced warily at his mother. "Planning? For what?"

"The party tomorrow night, of course. We are going to celebrate your safe return, and the success of the mission." Ben groaned and Rey laughed as they walked together through the crowd.

***Author's Note***

So, the next chapter will be sheer fluff. It's been all serious for so long that I think we could all use a lemon-y fluff chapter. Can't wait to write it tonight! Oh, and massive brownie point to y'all that caugh the Doctor Who reference!


	16. Chapter 16

***Author's Note***

Good evening, dear readers. Here is the next installment;forgive me for the lateness of the hour.

The next morning, Rey woke first, chuckling when she saw Ben's sleeping form beside her. Yesterday had been a hellish (for him!) mixture of fittings, debriefings, bacta tank sessions, and party consultations. As a result, by the time he had dragged himself out of the 'fresher, he barely had time to crawl into bed and collapse face-down with his good arm slung across her belly. _Well, I might as well wake him,_ she thought. She worked her way out from under his arm; Ben grunted and rolled onto his back, grumbling sleepily. Rey leaned in close and laid her lips first on his forehead, then on the scar she was responsible for, then gently on his lips. Ben smiled as she kissed him.

"You know it drives me crazy when you do that," he complained, laughing.

"I know. That's why I do it," she replied, grinning mischievously. Ben groaned as he seized Rey around the waist and flipped her onto her back, nuzzling her neck. Ben nipped playfully at Rey's jawline, making her yelp. He ran his hands gently, lovingly up her thighs, over her hips, and brought them to rest on her perfect breasts. He lowered his mouth to circle her nipple with his tongue, smiling wickedly as she gasped and arched her back. Ben slid slowly down her body, trailing kisses as he went. "Did you ever think," he murmured against the inside of her thigh, "That I might be perfectly fine with missing the so-called festivities? No; I'd much rather stay here with you." He kissed her swollen nub and lapped sensuously at her womanhood. Rey cried out and grabbed handfuls of his dark, curly hair.

Laughing, Ben rose to cover her. Slowly, he sank into her, groaning softly. Carefully, he positioned himself so that he could rest his forehead against hers, and cup her face with his right hand. He cupped her breast with his cybernetic hand gently as he began to slowly move against her. "Don't look away," He whispered. Rey laid her left hand on his face, and her right on his hip, urging him on. "Never," she whispered back thickly. With each gentle pump of his hips, they sighed gently together to a soft peak, he pumped himself into her one last time and followed her to his own climax with a gentle moan. He laid his head over her heart, listening contentedly to her steady heartbeat; he thought it might be the single most important sound in all the universe.

"Well, as lovely as that was," Rey said softly, "We had better start getting ready for your mother's party."

Ben groaned in earnest against her chest. "Woman, you are sheer evil! How can you think of parties at a time like this? You have me naked and completely at your mercy! I'm helpless, and all you can think of is some silly party?"

Rey dissolved into giggles as she grabbed a pillow and brought it down, hard, onto his face. Ben _oomfed_ indignantly and tore the pillow from her grasp, laughing as he lunged for her. She was too quick for him, though; Rey rolled backwards off the bed and stood at the foot of their bed, laughing at him.

"Get dressed, Ben. I want to show you off. And then, I want to dance with you."

Ben covered his face with the remaining pillow and groaned again. "See? What did I say? Evil! Pure, unadulterated evil! Dancing? Now I _know_ you're trying to kill me!"

Rey laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic. Get your clothes on, Ben. They're hanging over there," she pointed to the other end of their room, where something silvery blue hung. Ben acquiesced with poor grace, slumping over to where Rey had pointed.

"Why can't I just wear my robes? My robes are fine. Ugh. I hate parties," he grumbled to himself. "Do I really have to go?" He pleaded with Rey.

Rey looked over at him, widening her eyes innocently. "No, you don't have to; I'll just go by myself and find someone else to dance with. Maybe Finn would dance with me."

Ben scowled and narrowed his eyes at the thought of another man, _any_ other man touching _his_ woman. "Fine," he growled, "I'll go to the damn party. Couldn't Mother have given me something _darker_ to wear?"

Rey giggled, "Your mother thought it was a good idea to visually distance you from Kylo Ren. That means putting you in brighter colors. Please, just _try_ to have a good time tonight? We are two of the guests of honor."

Ben sighed, "All right. I'll try, but no promises!" He cringed as he slipped into the trousers; they were of a very fine wool, he thought. He picked up the tunic, which was made of the same fabric. Next, he buckled on the pale silver belt and matching boots. He glanced in the mirror, and was pleasantly surprised at what he saw. The neckline of the tunic met in a "v", exposing his collarbone and a bit of his chest. It fell to about mid-thigh, and the whole thing was trimmed in pale silver. The pale silver-blue lent a new warmth to his skin, and played up the contrast between the stark black of his hair, and the sparkling amber of his eyes. The pale silver belt accentuated his athletic physique. All together, Ben thought he looked rather...regal. There was no other word for it.

He clipped his light-sabers to the belt and turned to ask Rey if she was ready. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. Rey was draped in a shimmering bronze sheath that pooled around her, trailing behind her. From her shoulders, there was a flowing cape that fell to her elbows. The neckline plunged daringly to her sternum. Around her hips was a delicate-looking gold belt, from which hung her saber-staff. Her arms were bare from the shoulder down, and her face had been elegantly painted; it made her eyes look...deeper, somehow, were her lips always that red? He didn't think so. Her hair had been piled on top of her head in curls, and a few ringlets had been artfully let to fall so they would frame her face. She shifted, and he caught a glimpse of deep brown leather high-heeled boots that ended at her thigh. She looked like some kind of warrior goddess.

Ben felt his jaw unhinge as two droids came over to arrange his hair. At last, he found his voice; "When the hell did _they_ come in?"

Rey rolled her eyes, "Sometime while you were over there griping. You don't think I could do all this myself, do you?"

The droids finished with Ben's hair, and he waved them off, irritated. They had loosely bound his hair at the base of his neck with a silver strip of cloth so that it hung loosely around his face. Rey thought she had never seen a more handsome man in all her life.

Ben cleared his throat, "Rey, you look, well I mean, wow," he finished lamely. Rey blushed and looked down.

"Thank you," she mumbled, "You, too."

The door wooshed open to admit Poe and Finn, who, upon seeing Rey, came to such a sudden stop that they ran into each other. "Wow," said Finn in a choked voice.

Poe sidled over to Ben and tucked a small box into Ben's trouser pocket. "You'll need this at just the right moment. Trust me," he whispered conspiratorially into Ben's ear. He grabbed Ben and Rey by the elbows and began to drag them forward, "Come on, you two! Don't just stare at each other all night! Other people want to see you, too!" With that, they were towed toward the mess hall by an overly-enthusiastic Poe.

The doors opened, and the four of them stood framed in th e doorway with Poe to Ben's left, and Finn to Rey's right, while Ben and Rey held hands. The assembled mass of people all slowly turned towards them, and a hush fell over the crowd. Even the musicians stopped playing. All at once, the crowd began to cheer raucously. They heard General Organa's voice rise above the crowd, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Heroes of Endor!"

Ben leaned over to whisper in Rey's ear, "Heroes of Endor? Now, really; I think she's over-extended herself a bit..." Rey bit back a giggle as they both smiled and waved at the crowd. _You owe me big for this one, desert rat_ , came his thought. He sensed her amusement come through their Force Bond.

The four of them glided down the marble staircase into what was usually the mess hall; Ben saw now that its original usage must have been its current one; a ballroom. Much to his dismay, once they reached the end of the staircase, every woman (and no few men) wanted to dance with him. Though he tried desperately to fend them off, eventually a cute little Twi'lek with skin the color of a dusky orange sunset claimed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor. Ben looked distinctly uncomfortable as the Twi'lek ground herself against him, sensuously. He was a good sport for the majority of her "dancing", though it looked more like a cantina routine to Ben. It wasn't until she wrapped her legs around Ben's hips that he flushed and thought towards Rey _Get me out of here, and I'll do anything you ask of me._ He sounded so pathetic that Rey took pity on him.

"Sorry, may I cut in? I'm missing my man, I'm sure you understand?" She shot the Twi'lek a glance that would have chilled the marrow of a lesser being. She took Ben's cybernetic left hand in her right and placed her left hand on his right shoulder. The music shifted into a pleasant Waltz tempo.

"Finally, a dance I actually know," Ben surprised her by twirling her in a circle, and bringing her gracefully back to center; back to _him_. They danced beautifully together until the song ended. "Can we eat now?" Ben asked hopefully. Rey laughed and nodded. Together, they walked over to the tables that were laden with so many kinds of food, Ben couldn't begin to tell what came from where. All he knew, was his plate was full, and it was delicious. They both ate their fill (and then some) while being constantly accosted by those that were not willing to volunteer for the Endor mission. Over and over, they were forced to relive the Endor Liberation (as it was now being called) to those foolish enough not to take part in it. Eventually, Luke took pity on them and waded in with the excuse of bringing them to the General. At last, they reached Leia, who was looking quite pleased with herself.

"You look wonderful, both of you," She said breathlessly. Captain Antilles has been trying to get me to dance all night; you don't mind, do you, son?" Ben shook his head and watched as Leia was dragged onto the dance floor by the charismatic Captain. Watching the pair dance gracefully, Ben began to wonder just _what_ had been happening since his father's demise. Shaking the thought off, Ben bowed and kissed Rey's hand.

"A moment, my Light," Ben murmured as he flowed towards his mother. "If I may dance with my own mother," He lifted a brow at Wedge Antilles, who bowed graciously in return. _That was rude, Ben,_ his mother admonished. "I know," he replied aloud, "But it's still unsettling for me to watch you with anyone but my father." Leia chuckled as she leaned her head against her son's chest and just enjoyed the moment of peace that she had not had with him since he was a young boy; it had been a very different dance partner for him back then. Ben caught the train of his mother's thoughts and gazed mournfully down into his mother's eyes. _Mother, I don't want to think about Padme tonight. Lets just enjoy tonight._ Leia smiled.

"In that case," Leia smirked, "Perhaps there's a lady here that you'd rather be spending your time with?" Leia turned just as Rey approached, and placed her son's hand in the hand of his love. "Just don't mess it up, okay, Ben?" His mother teased. At least, he _thought_ she was teasing him.

Rey looked at him questioningly, "What was that about?"  
"To be honest? I haven't the faintest idea. Ben took Rey in his arms and began to rotate slowly with her. As he gazed down at her, he was struck again by how extraordinary she looked tonight. There had never been another woman so beautiful. _Check your pocket_ , His mother said into his mind. She shot him an image, and suddenly he understood what it was that Poe had meant earlier. As the song drew slowly to a close, he took Rey's left hand and knelt before her.

"Um, what are you doing? Get up." The crowd surrounding them drew back whispering, waiting to see what would happen.

"Rey, you know I'm terrible at this kind of thing. Speeches are...not my forte. However; when I look at you, I find myself feeling...abnormally eloquent. When we met, I was hopeless. I had given myself to the Dark Side, and I enjoyed it. When you blasted your way into my life, you were my enemy. You were the perfect Light, and I was the perfect Dark; I hated you for it. But as time went on, I found my thoughts dwelling more and more frequently on you. I assumed it was due to your ease of defeating me. However, there came a day when I was faced with the possibility of your immediate demise, and I found myself wondering, was I alright with that? Could I live with never seeing you again? And much to my astonishment, I found that the answer was 'no'. I chased you through the woods of Yavin 4 that day; I had sent the Knights of Ren after you. I _felt_ your pain as you fell, and I knew terror in my heart at that moment. I knew, when I found you lying unconscious in the rain, that I could never again allow you to come to harm. I knew the depth of our bond that day, when I _felt_ the light-saber bite into your chest. I knew at that moment that I would die defending you, which is appropriate, as I lost an arm and a leg, quite literally, in your defense that day. I turned from the darkness that day, and chose the beauty of your Light. Since then, you have become my reason, not only to fight, but to live, as well as I know how. You are my only love, and I have never known another, nor will I. If you fight, I will fight. If you hurt, I will hurt. If you have joy, I will have joy. I have irrevocably bound myself to you, and I would have it no other way. You have become my other half; you could never replace the beloved twin that I lost, but you have, instead, _repaired_ the damage done by Padme's death. I have never known one like you, nor do I wish to know another. Rey; this day, this moment, I beg of you to stay. I beg you to forgive my stammering foolishness. Please; stay with me. At the end, what I am asking of you, is quite simple. My dearest Rey, I love you more than I have ever loved any living being. Therefore, I ask, no; I beg you; marry me, my Light. Be mine for all time, until I can follow you, and join you evermore, in the Force. Join with me now, my love, and belong to me for eternity, as I already belong to you. Would you do me the honor, Rey, of becoming my wife?"

Ben looked into his love's face to see that tears had begun to run down her face. He reached up and wiped them away as she responded, "Ben, I have never known one like you. From the moment that I woke to find the evidence of your defense of me, I have known there was something...new between us. I have searched my heart, Ben, and I have searched the Force; I have found your statements to be nothing but truth. Therefore, I accept your proposal, Ben Solo; I will be your wife, and never again will either of us be alone, or without the other."

The crowd surrounding Ben and Rey worked itself into a frenzy at Rey's words. Ben saw his mother watching him with tears of joy in her eyes. Ben braced himself as Finn and Poe came hurtling out of the crowd, crying themselves; as the pair wrapped their arms around Ben and Rey, Ben knew that he would never be lonely again, for here dwelt silly people who cared more for the joy of one single moment than the greater good of the entire galaxy, and that was just fine by him. Amid many tears and much watery laughter, Ben slipped the ring that Poe had placed into his pocket earlier, onto Rey's ring finger on her left side. He leaned in to kiss her, murmuring, "I love you," as his mouth was crushed against hers.

***Author's Note***

I hope you liked my fluff. Know that the lateness is due to my falling asleep, not the difficulty of the chapter. As always, PM me if you have an idea for a story you would like for me to write. I have been given a challenge that I would like opinions on, also. Thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

***Author's Note***

Phew. Doozy of a chapter here, folks. It fought me tooth and nail, but here it is! Loads of plot in this one, hope you like it!

*****xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the wake of Ben's proposal to Rey, the party gained a new fervor, with Ben and Rey at its center. Everyone there wanted to offer their congratulations and to dance with the bride and groom to be. Ben avoided the Twi'lek from earlier, who seemed to be trying to pin him down for another "dance". To their credit, Finn and Poe volunteered to run interference for him. As the night went on, the ale and wine flowed freely, and Ben began to relax for the first time in a very long time. Usually he only relaxed when he and Rey were alone, but the atmosphere was contagious. Ben found that he did not mind the women that lined up to take their turn dancing with him, and he _tried_ to have the same attitude with Rey's dance partners. The party continued far into the wee hours of the morning, and at last, people began to pair off and drift off on their own. The General was nowhere to be found, but then, neither was Captain Antilles. Ben didn't need the Force to know what was going on _there._ He found that he was pleased. At least his mother wasn't alone. He caught Rey's eye, and she glided gracefully over to him. He held his arms out, and she slid into them, resting her head on his chest.

Rey saw Poe and Finn leaning against a pair of pillars, chatting up a lovely pair of female pilots. Poe caught Rey's eye and winked. "Well, at least we know _those_ two won't be sleeping alone tonight," Rey chuckled into Ben's ear. "And speaking of sleeping," Rey took Ben's hand and started to lead him to the door. "I think it's time we turned in." Finn and Poe noticed their friends attempting to make their escape and sent whoops of raucous laughter and catcalls in their direction. "So much for a quiet escape," Rey mumbled.

Ben wound his arm around Rey's waist, both of them weaving drunkenly, just a bit. They managed to find their way to their room, and before the door had slid shut behind them, they were already tearing each others clothes off. With the fervor that only comes in the wake of too much drink, they stumbled towards the bed, Ben hopping on one foot while desperately trying to get out of his confounded boots. Rey looked like a clumsy cantina dancer as she wiggled and shimmied, trying to get out of her dress. Finally, they made it to the bed, and out of their clothes; they tumbled together to the bed, and reached for each other.

Rey took hold of his manhood, and found it already hard for her. Ben rose over her, impatient for release. He drove wildly into her, and she cried out. Rey lifted her hips and matched his frantic pace. Ben leaned close and kissed her, "You're mine. Say it, Rey. You belong to me." His pace increased as he pounded roughly into her. "Say it," he moaned.

Rey gasped with pleasure, "I'm yours. Only yours." Ben moaned wildly and drove himself deep into her warmth as they climaxed together. Ben's arms gave out, and he collapsed on top of Rey, where he promptly fell asleep. Rey groaned under his weight. "You...great... _oaf_!" she could not manage to wiggle out from under his mass, so she resigned herself to simply not being able to breathe. She slid quickly into sleep, and for a time, there was peace. But it could not last.

 _Master Ren's fury was absolute. They had been unable to bring in the boy. "We know where he is. And yet, he is not standing before me. Why have we not sent an army to retrieve him? Captain Phasma! Ready my shuttle. I will retrieve him myself. You will accompany me. We will take this war directly to the General, and she will see all that she has built; all that she loves, brought down around her."_

 _"_ _Yes, Master Ren," replied Phasma, tremulously._

 _Ren turned and stormed from the chamber, his midnight robes billowing around his ankles. The doors slid shut behind him, and he reached up to remove his mask; as the mask slid apart..._

Ben woke with a shout. He was lying as he had slept, on top of Rey. He looked down at her, and he knew that she had seen what he had. "We have to tell Uncle Luke." Rey nodded. They sprung out of bed and threw on their robes. They bolted out the door, sprinting down the hallways in search of Luke. They passed Poe and Finn, who glanced nervously at each other and followed. At last, they came to Luke's chambers and found him waiting in the doorway.

"I sensed your distress. Come in; Leia's on her way." Ben took to pacing up and down Luke's small bedchamber, while Rey watched him anxiously. Finally, Ben sensed his mother coming, and a moment later, she and Captain Antilles strode anxiously into the room.

"Luke said something was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me what." She took a good look at her son, and blanched. "What's going on?"

Rey and Ben glanced at each other, "Master Ren is coming," Ben whispered. The whole room grew still, and every face paled. "He's coming here. It's me he's after. He's still furious that I escaped him on Endor. He's bringing an army, and he's coming here to fetch me himself. I'm so sorry. I should have known this would happen. I've never been able to hide from him. I have been foolish. Now you are going to pay the price. Mother, I'm sorry, but you have to run. We all have to run. We need to evacuate this whole base." Rey sat motionless, staring at her hands. _Are you sure we have to leave? Why can't we fight?_ Came her questioning thought. "No, Rey, we can't fight. He'll bring multiple contingents of Stormtroopers, an army of Knights alone, and we simply don't have enough manpower to defend the base." Rey shot suddenly to her feet. _Ben! The Force-Sensitives!_ Ben felt his jaw drop. "You're right! Uncle! What about the Force-Sensitives? Do you think you could convince them to fight with us? If they stand with us, we could really stand a chance at turning Ren back!"

Luke's brow furrowed. "Ben, I think you're the one that would have more pull with them. You're the one they praise as a hero. They look to you; if you asked them, I'm almost certain that you would be able to convince them."

Ben nodded. "Alright; I'll talk to them. But mother, you need to leave. You need to take the younglings, and the non-combatants, and get off this planet." The General shook her head and opened her mouth to argue, but Ben put a finger on her lips and knelt before her, taking her shoulders in his hands. "Mother, you _are_ the Resistance. They can't do without you." His voice cracked as he lowered it to a whisper, " _I_ can't do without you. Please run." Leia nodded.

"Very well," she said thickly, "I'll take the noncoms and run. I won't tell you where we're going, in case you get captured. Reach out to me through the Force once it's all over, and I'll give you our location." She embraced her son as tightly as she could and turned on her heel, sprinting out the door.

Ben and Rey went immediately to speak with the adult Force-Sensitives, and found they were all waiting in the mess hall. The lot of them were milling about like a herd of nervous cattle. As soon as Ben, Rey, and Luke came quickly into the hall, every one of them lunged forward, shouting questions. Luke nodded at Ben, and he stepped forward, raising his hands for silence. The crowd fell silent, and Ben cleared his throat. "Now, I'm sure you've all felt a disturbance in the Force, which is why you all congregated here. I don't want to sugar-coat anything, so I'll just say it. Master Ren is on his way, and he's bringing an army with him." The crowd gasped, and some cried out in despair. "Calm down! We've come here to ask something of you. Many Knights of Ren will be coming with him. We will need all the Force Users that we can muster. My question to you is this: will you stand and fight? Will you fight beside us?" Without hesitation, every single Force-Sensitive answered in a resounding affirmative. Ben and Rey let out the breath they had been holding. "Thank you. We have a real chance of holding Ren off now."

Ben and Rey rushed off to find the General, and give her the good news. As they hurried along, Captain Morris came alongside them. "Masters," he said, "After the Endor Liberation, I have gained a new respect for the pair of you. I was hoping I could serve under you again. It would be my honor to fight beside you."

"That is an excellent notion, Morris. I would be pleased to accept; my mother is fleeing with the non-combatants, so I would like you to act as Commanding Officer in her stead. There is no other that I would trust with the position."

Captain Morris stumbled in surprise, "But, Sir, what about Captain Antilles? Certainly he would be a better choice?"

Ben smiled, "Captain Antilles has refused to leave my mother's side. He will be leaving with her."

"Ah," Captain Morris said, "I understand, Sir. I would be honored to accept. I will answer only to you. I'm sure your mother would do the same, if she were staying."

"Well done, Captain. If you please, go and organize the ground troops; they will be overrun with Stormtroopers, and they need to be ready. I will go and help my Uncle organize the Force Users." Captain Morris snapped a sharp salute and ran off to see to his duties. As Rey and Ben came out of the residential building, they saw that the base was a hive of activity. There were a handful of shuttles being prepped to take the noncoms off-planet. In an open field, Luke was helping to refine the Force Users' use of their light-sabers. Ben only hoped that it would be enough. _Relax, Ben. We're doing all we can. We'll make it work somehow._ Came Rey's thought in his mind. _I certainly hope you're right,_ he replied.

They stood watching Luke spar with the Force Users, content to simply stand together in silence. They sank into the Force, twining their minds together, wanting to spend every moment together, as closely as they could. Each knew the other was more scared than they had ever been in their lives, but they took comfort in their love for one another and lent each other strength and courage. After what seemed an age, they sensed Leia coming over to them, and they began to come up out of their trance.

"Well, we're about to get on our way. Be safe, both of you. I can't..." The ever-stoic Leia choked, tears flooding her eyes. "I love you, Ben."

"I love you, mother. Be safe, yourself. We will join you as soon as we can." Luke came over and wrapped an arm around his twin's shoulders. Ben took his mother's right hand, and Rey's left. They walked together to the shuttles, which were putting the finishing touches on their preparations to leave the planet. They embraced Leia one final time, and watched as she walked up the ramp into the shuttle. As they backed away, the shuttles ignited their engines and lifted off. Ben and Luke felt like a part of themselves had climbed on that shuttle, and not come back. Rey buried her face in Ben's chest, trembling with fear. "It'll be alright, Rey. We'll survive this, somehow."

They returned indoors, fully cognizant of the fact that the hallways were oddly quiet; there were no children. That was what struck them the most. The children had been the lifeblood of the base. The families had made it easier, somehow; more like a home, and less like a military operation. They wandered back to the now-empty mess hall, feeling as empty as the hallways. Slowly, the mess hall began to fill as the remaining fighters wandered, looking for some kind of comfort.

Ben stood and cleared his throat. The milling crowd quieted and looked to him. "I know only last night, we were all in this very same room, enjoying one another's company. Just last night, in this very room, I asked my love to marry me. Today, however, we stand together in this room for a very different purpose. Today, we find ourselves waiting for our enemy to find us. Our enemy is coming for us, and we are going to meet him, head-on. Today, I look around and I see many that I have fought beside once before. However, today, we do not fight to rescue those who have been taken against their will. Today, we fight to defend our very way of life. Today, we fight for our families, for our friends, and for the safety of the entire galaxy. Until recently, I know none of you had any reason to trust me; in fact, every one of you had at least one reason to hate me and wish me dead. Today, I fight for my mother, I fight for my Uncle, my love, and the friends I have made here. I fight for you, and I fight for myself. Today, whatever comes, I will meet it standing by your side! Let us show Ren that we do not fear him! We will stand, we will fight, and we _will_ make _him_ fear _us_!" The crowd gathered in the mess hall cheered threw their fists in the air.

Ben's head spun as the vision came to him, _Ren stood staring out the viewing windows from the command center of the Super Star Destroyer_ Interceptor. _The world of D'Qar was just below him, and he was heading down to the planet, himself to assure success. He watched the fleet of shuttles depart and enter the atmosphere of D'Qar, feeling very self-satisfied with himself. "There is nowhere left to hide, Kylo Ren," he said aloud to himself. "I_ _ **will**_ _return you to your training. I will slit the throat of your little_ _ **pet**_ _, and cause you all the pain that I know how. You will regret leaving the First Order, and you will crawl back to me on hands and knees."_

Ben shuddered back to the present, trembling. "They're here," he said. "Everyone to your stations! To battle, my friends! Defend your lives, defend your families!" On a massive roar, the crowd surged from the mess hall, gaining in numbers as they went. They arranged themselves on the border of the forest surrounding the base. Ben, Luke and Rey were front and center, along with Poe and Finn. The rest of the Force Users were dispersed throughout the ranks, as evenly as they could manage. Complete silence descended as they waited. As it happened, they did not have to wait for long. Out of the shadows of the trees marched the army of the First Order, led by none other than Captain Phasma. Simultaneously, the Force Users lit their light-sabers; the Force-Sensitives that had been rescued from Endor had brought their sabers with them from that hellish base.

"Give up," cried Phasma. "You are woefully outnumbered, and our Master will join us shortly! You will sign your own death warrants if you stand and fight. Kylo Ren! Master Ren desperately wishes you to return to his training. He says that if you will not come quietly, he will kill your pet. It would be a shame to see such potential wasted."

"You're wasting your time, Phasma! I stand between you and these people. I will _not_ stand aside and watch them be slaughtered."

"Then it seems you have made your decision. Attack!"

Blaster bolts were suddenly flying through the air, striking down both Resistance Fighter and Stormtrooper alike. The Knights of Ren sprang into action, also, their red blades twirling and slicing through the air. Luke, Rey, and Ben sprang forward as one, and Force-Jumped over the line of Stormtroopers just n front of them. Ben's twin green light-sabers, Luke's single blue saber, and Rey's violet saber-staff glowed viciously in the growing gloom as they slashed and hacked at any enemy foolish enough to approach them. Luke cut down Knight after Knight; experience, it seemed, had its advantages over youth. Rey was a whirling dervish; she would block with one end of the staff, then lunge with the other, only to block again. She was a true master of the saber-staff; it was like she was the master of a deadly dance, to which only she knew the steps. Ben's twin sabers flashed with wild abandon.

After what seemed like hours, the battle began to turn in their favor. The Stormtroopers began to fall in the face of the Resistance's furious onslaught. The Resistance surged forward, light-sabers flashing, blaster-bolts flying, and it seemed their victory was assured. Ben glanced up at the sound of a massive incoming shuttle, and shuddered. Master Ren had arrived, and he brought reinforcements. He glanced to his right and saw Finn and Phasma locked in physical combat, both having lost their blasters. Glancing to his left, he saw Luke dueling three Knights at one time, seeming to need to spend very little effort. Standing together, Ben and Rey fought like two halves of the same whole. When one moved, the other echoed; when one blocked, the other lunged. Together, they had four Knights, but were managing just fine. They cut down the four Knights, and suddenly Ben perceived that his former Master had arrived. Ben and Rey stood stock-still, watching for Ren's appearance. Then, through the trees, he came, surrounded by Knights. The Knights charged first; Rey and Luke were the first to engage the new threat. Ben, however, walked forward to meet Ren.

"There's nowhere left for you to hide, boy," came the altered voice of Master Ren. "This is how you choose to die? Surrounded by these fools!?"

"These fools are my friends! I will stand between you and them, if it is the last thing that I do." Slowly, the skirmishes around them came to a halt as the surrounding fighters noticed what was happening. The Knights and the Force Users, however, did not stop. They could sense everything through the Force; they didn't need to watch.

"You are out of time, Kylo Ren. Return to me now, and I will spare your pet." Ren held out his hand.

Ben glared at the proffered hand and scowled. "You're a liar, and we both know it. You'll kill Rey, just to teach me a lesson and cause me pain. I know you too well, Ren."

Ren laughed, nodding. "Very good. It seems you haven't forgotten _everything_ you were taught. It is a shame; you were my favorite Knight. You would have ruled by my side. Instead, you disappoint me, traitor."

Ren lunged forward as he lit his own twin red light-sabers. Ben neatly parried the blow. Ben countered with his own assault; he came high with his left, middle with his right, and a low, sweeping shot with his left twirling around like a deadly whirlwind. They sprang apart, only to lunge again, and neatly parried each others' attacks again and again. The pair fought like a matched set, and neither seemed willing to give in. With a block and a sudden spin, Ben brought the saber in his right hand up in a vicious slash, which connected. Ren cried out, his helmet sparking fitfully.. "You fool!" He cried; there was something...off about that voice. "You should have left well enough alone, Kylo Ren." Ben _knew_ that voice.

It couldn't be; it wasn't possible. "No," he whispered. Master Ren reached up to removed his damaged helmet. As the helmet fell aside, Ben screamed, " _NO_!" in agony as a familiar face was revealed. " _Padme?_ " He whispered her name, denial in his voice. "No," he moaned again as he staggered backwards. "It can't be. You're dead."

Yet, he knew it was true. The face of his beloved twin stood back at him; she was paler, with veins of black coursing through her skin, and her eyes had gone yellow, but Ben knew it was her. He walked slowly forward, his hands outstretched. When he reached her, Ben gently, lovingly, took the face of his twin in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. "I have missed you," he murmured.

"You are a fool," came his sister's voice, with a new cruelty in it that Ben had never heard before. Ben blanched.

"You had your chance to rejoin me, Ben. You wasted it." Padme brought her hand up, and Ben was flung backwards, into a tree. As he staggered upright, he saw Padme Force-Jump towards him, and brought his sabers up to block, as quickly as he could. He was unprepared for the vicious nature of his twin's onslaught. Ben felt the battle shift in Padme's direction, and he swung wildly, just as he felt his sister's light-saber bite into his stomach. Simultaneously, his own light-saber slashed across her face, and Padme collapsed. Ben fell to the ground as well, and slid into unconsciousness.

***Author's Note***

Okay, all. Wipe the tears away. Lol. Little bit of a bombshell, huh? Oh, boy, was this one tough. As ever, thanks for reading. ^_^


	18. Chapter 18

***Author's Note***

Okay, so this one's a little shorter than the last, but it's no less of a doozy. Some more important plot revelations here. Hope you like!

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Ben woke with a ragged cry, and struggled to sit up. When he found himself unable to, he panicked and began to struggle. _Shhh, my love. Shhh. It's just us. You're okay._ Ben jerked when he heard Rey's thoughts. _You need to lie still, my love._ Ben complied, and as he felt his panic abate, he realized it was Poe and Finn that were holding him down, and he relaxed further. "I'm alright," he croaked. "You can let go now." He felt the restraining hands release him; Ben looked to his right and saw Rey kneeling beside him, deep in a trance. As he watched her, she stirred. "Where are we?" Ben asked.

"We're on a shuttle. After you fell, Finn and Poe carried you here; you were badly wounded, and we were afraid we would lose you. I've been trying to heal you. Oh, Ben, what are we going to do? We don't even know where we're going at this point."

"How many shuttles made it?" Rey looked uncomfortably away. "Rey? How bad is it? How many did we lose?"

"Only four shuttles made it, Ben."

Ben's mind went blank for a moment. "Four? There should have been three times that many! What happened?"

"After you fell, it seemed like the number of Stormtroopers doubled, and maybe they did. But I saw Phasma carry Ren off, and we barely managed to escape, ourselves. We lost many of our Force-Sensitives, and so many more of our regular forces. We took a significant hit today, Ben. I don't know what to do, and we don't know where we're going." Rey's face crumpled in despair. Ben reached out and took her hand.

"It's going to be alright, Rey. I just need to reach my mother." Ben closed his eyes and felt himself sink into the Force. He pressed his consciousness out of himself, and _reached_ , searching for his mother. At last, he found her. _Mother? It's Ben. Where are you?_ Ben felt Leia's surprise, and then relief at Ben's thoughts. _Ben? What's wrong? I sensed a terrible disturbance in the Force. What's happened?_ Ben sighed. _We'll discuss it when we arrive, Mother. We need to know where you are. We have wounded, including myself._ A wave of pain rolled through his from his gut wound. _Alright, we're on Tagoria. Please hurry, and be safe._

Ben woke and looked at Rey. "They're on Tagoria."

Rey hurried to the cockpit and informed the pilot. Just then, Ben realized Poe was not flying the shuttle, which seemed wrong to him, somehow. "Poe? Why aren't you the pilot? Are you alright?" Ben looked up at Poe, getting a good look at his face for the first time since he woke. There was definitely something wrong with him; he looked waxy and pale. Slowly, Poe pulled his right hand forward. Except there _was_ no hand.

"Looks like I get to join the cybernetic club, doesn't it?" Ben looked stricken. "Hey, don't worry about it, okay, buddy? It's fine. Really; it's fine. It'll make a great story for the ladies." Poe winked. "Just...note to self...Don't take on somebody who's got a light-saber if you don't have one, yourself. You tend to come away missing something." Poe laughed, and Ben had to smirk, just a little, at the image of Poe charging a Knight of Ren with nothing but his good looks and charm. "Well, when you went down, I felt Rey's knees buckle next to me. I grabbed hold of her, knowing it couldn't be good news, and started trying to make a hole. I got Finn's attention, and between the two of us, we managed to take down enough Stormtroopers to get our group out. Rey seemed to come to her senses then, and she grabbed on to my hand, I grabbed Finn's wrist, and we held on for dear life. That girl can _run_. She seemed to know right where you were, and headed directly to you; that's when we saw Phasma carrying off your...Ren...and I thought Rey was going to pass out. She got us to you, though, and what we found made her go bone-white. You had a terrible gash across your gut; it was so bad we could see your intestines. We thought you might already be dead, but Rey swore you weren't. Just then, we found ourselves surrounded by Knights. Lucky your Uncle was there, or we would have been killed. There were a couple of Twi'lek Force Users, and a few others besides; between them, they managed to handle the Knights. Rey didn't have the time or energy to focus on the attack, so your Uncle told her to just worry about you. She did some...Force...thing...and told us to pick you up and carry you to the nearest shuttle; said she had to keep physical contact with you, or she'd lose you. We barely made it to the shuttles, First Order hot on our asses, and got you laid down, when I heard somebody shout out behind me; I looked, and saw your Uncle had fallen; he had a pretty bad gash across his face. I didn't think about what I was doing, or I might not have done it; anyway, I charged the Knight that did it, and managed to distract him long enough for Luke to recover. That's when it happened. The Knight twisted his light-saber, and then there was this searing pain, and oh, look! No more hand. But Luke survived, which is way more important; we helped each other into the shuttle, and off we went. That's pretty much everything you missed while you were out; Rey's been working on you ever since."

Ben struggled, trying to sit up. "Where's my Uncle? Where's Luke? Where _is_ he!?"

"Relax, nephew. I'm here." Ben heard a shuffling as Luke worked his way towards Ben. Ben gasped when he saw his Uncle's face. The gash Poe had referred to stood out shockingly where Luke's eyes had once been. "It's alright, Ben. I don't need my eyes to see, and I don't need to see to fight. It hurts, yes, but I will survive. If Poe hadn't given me the time to recover, I have no doubt that I would be dead now. He saved my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful." Luke placed his hand on Poe's shoulder and smiled. "Master Obi-Wan once taught me that the eyes can deceive you, and not to rely on them; I learned long ago how to fight blind. I'll be fine, Ben. Although your mother will likely make a fuss. Ah, well, what can you do?" Luke chuckled. "The important thing is that we survived with as many as possible."

Just then, Rey returned from the cockpit. "How are you feeling, Luke? I'm sorry I haven't seen to you."

Luke waved her off. "I'm fine," he said. "Just a little tired. Now that we know Ben will be alright, I think I'll take some rest. Sleeping will be interesting now. I think that will be the most difficult thing to adjust to."

"You're talking like you'll never see again," Rey sputtered.

Luke walked over to Rey and took her shoulders in his hands. "Rey. Look at me; I have no eyes left. They were utterly destroyed. The Force can do many things, but it can't make something from nothing. It can build on what is there, and it can repair something that was damaged, but it can't created something from nothing. If it could, Ben and I would have natural limbs. I am perfectly fine with not seeing through my eyes. I have the Force, and I have my family. That is what matters to me. Get some rest, Rey. You're going to collapse if you don't."

Rey nodded and laid down next to Ben. Within moments, she was fast asleep. Ben wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, shivering. He didn't want to think about what had happened on D'Qar. Not yet; he wasn't ready. Instead, he reached for Rey's sleeping mind and allowed it to lull him into a restful, dreamless sleep.

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***Author's Note***

Phew. Okay, my writer's block has officially been unblocked. Hope you liked this one. I wanted to show that _nobody_ got out of this battle unscathed. As ever, let me know what you think, and thanks for reading. ^_^


	19. Chapter 19

***Author's Note***

Okay, so. Hugely angsty chapter. Everybody's dealing with the fallout of D'Qar, so...yeah. Enjoy!

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Ben and Rey did not stir until the shuttle was entering the atmosphere of Tagoria. Rey helped Ben struggle to his feet, and Poe offered Luke an arm to help lead him down the loading ramp. The landing pad was swarming Tagorians. They reminded Rey somewhat of Wookies, except that these creatures were decidedly feline in appearance. Their native tongue was harsh and guttural. With relief, she saw a familiar face running towards them. Leia ran straight for her son, stopping short when she saw that he could barely stand. She turned to ask her twin what had happened, and gasped in horror when she saw his face. She reached up gingerly to cup his face. "Luke, your eyes." Luke patted his sister's hands, smiling gently.

"Leia. I'm alright. Don't worry so much about me." Just then, two massive Tagorians came stalking towards them. It was difficult to call their movements anything else; they _prowled_ everywhere they went. One was husky with all-white fur and piercing blue eyes. The other was slighter with orange-and-white fur, and stunning yellow eyes.

The Orange-and-white furred Targorian spoke first, though it was thickly (and oddly) accented. "I am Tyrnia, and this is Tryga, my brother. Our father is Muuurgh, and our mother is Mrrov." Ben's eyebrows shot up. "I see you have heard of them. Always, we were taught stories of the Jedi, and of Han Solo. It grieved my parents deeply to hear of his death. Anything you need, just ask. We will see to your wounded; we have very great medical facilities here." Tyrnia gestured for them to follow her.

Just then, Ben felt Rey slide to her knees beside him. Ben was on his own knees, catching her, before anyone else knew what was happening. She was deathly pale, and her skin was going cold. Ben shifted his right arm, feeling something soaking into his sleeve. What he saw drained what little blood was left from his face. There was a nasty diagonal slash across her back, but Ben couldn't see how bad it was through the robe. He reached underneath the bulky material, and what he discovered made him nauseous; he could feel her spine as he explored her wound. "She's been holding herself together with the Force. Please, take her somewhere safe." Ben gagged as he turned quickly away and vomited all over the shuttle's loading bay. He made to stand, but the world gave a sickening lurch, and the last thing he remembered was being lifted by something incredibly strong, and carted off after Rey.

He woke to find himself on a cold metal slab, with Tryga staring at him. "Your mate is in a bacta tank." He nodded towards the back of the medbay. Where Ben could sense Rey's presence.

"Please, help me up. I need to speak with my mother. But first, I'd like to see Rey." Tryga nodded and reached over to help Ben to his feet. Tryga gave Ben his massive paw and helped him hobble to Rey's bacta tank. Ben put both hands on the tank and leaned his forehead against it, breathing a sigh of relief at her presence. From there, Tryga led Ben to where Leia was holding a war meeting. She glanced up as her son entered the room, leaning heavily on Tryga.

"Ben! You should be resting." She looked hard and long into her son's face. "So. What's wrong? Everybody knows something, and nobody will tell me _anything_. Not until I talk to you."

Ben heaved a heavy sigh, and tears came to his eyes. Leia backed up a step, eyes wide. "Mother, I have news. Padme is _alive_." A gasp echoed around the small room. Leia continued to back away, shaking her head. "You already know what I have to say. In your heart, you have always known, as I have. Padme and Ren are one and the same." Leia shuddered out a sob, and sank to her knees, still shaking her head.

" _No_ ," she whispered. "You've made a mistake."

Ben straightened as far as the wound to his abdomen would allow, raising his voice to a bellow. "I know the face of my own twin! I know her voice! It is not something I could ever forget. She was standing _right in front of me,_ Mother! For fifteen years, and I missed it!" His voice cracked as the tears in his eyes spilled over. "Fifteen years, and I never figured it out. I _saw her face_. There is no mistake, Mother." Ben sank to his knees in front of his mother, and leaned forward to take her hands in his. "How did I miss this? The darkness inside of her, Mother. My own _twin_. I never noticed a change in her. And yet, we have the evidence _right in front of us_ that we missed something." Ben leaned into his mother's shoulder as he wept. "How did we miss this?" He muttered brokenly into Leia's shoulder.

They knelt there together for what seemed like hours, sharing in the heartbreak of the sudden revelation. Finally, Leia stirred and rose, drying her eyes on her sleeve as Tryga helped Ben to his feet. "We will discuss this further later. Now, I need to speak with my brother." The assembled Resistance leaders seemed to pull themselves from their shock and quietly backed out of the room, leaving the family to their grief. "Go, Ben. Be with your fiance." Leia waited until the doors had slid shut behind her son. _Luke. I need you._ She waited until she heard in response. _Come; I've been waiting for you._ Leia found her brother waiting for her in her own chambers. "Ben just told me. How long have you known?"

Luke sighed. "Since Rey had the same vision that plagued both Padme and Ben since they were children. But I knew I had to let you discover it on your own, all of you. I'm sorry that it has caused you so much pain, but it had to be this way. You and I both know what it is Padme has become. She is a full Sith now. It breaks my heart."

Leia nodded. "I think I've known for some time, myself. But still, accepting it is...painful." Leia sighed again. "How are you doing? It can't be easy for you, losing your eyes."

Luke stiffened. "I'm fine."

"You were never a very good liar, Luke. Be honest with me. Be honest with yourself."

Luke's hand came up to cover his face. "The truth? The truth is, I've never been so afraid. I will never see again, Leia! I'll never see your face, or Ben's. I won't be able to _see_ him marry Rey. So many things I'll never enjoy again. I'll never see another sunrise, another tree, another gentle afternoon on a beach, watching the waves lap lazily at the shore." His breath caught in his throat. "I'm just a blind old man now, Leia. I can't sleep at night, because my body doesn't know when night _is_ anymore! My visions terrify me now when they come. They hurt my head in a way they never used to. Leia, I can't even cry! My wound destroyed my tear ducts. Can you imagine? I'm not just blind now; I literally _have no eyes_! I'm hideous. I will never be able to train a child again without them regarding me with fear and loathing. I can't..." Luke could say no more as a broken sob rose in his throat.

Leia led him over to the bed so they could sit. "I know. It's just too much. I don't know where to turn, or what to do." Luke laid his head in his sister's lap, taking comfort as she stroked his hair like a child. "I've never felt so helpless in my entire life. My own _daughter_. What do I do, Luke? How can I..." She broke off, hunching over her brother, sobbing. They held each other that way, until Captain Wedge Antilles keyed in the code and entered Leia's room, finding the twins asleep in each others' arms. _Some things never change,_ Wedge thought. He helped Leia into bed, and helped Luke into an armchair by the fireplace, laying thick blankets over him. Wedge quietly left the room, grateful that Leia wasn't alone tonight.

As Ben slumped his way back to the medbay, he sensed something...off. He mentioned this to Tryga, and together, they investigated. Ben paused in front of a door. He waved a hand, and it opened. Poe looked up in surprise. His sleeve had been pulled back to reveal a new cybernetic hand. There were bloody furrows where it connected to his wrist; it looked like he had been trying to tear it off. Poe's eyes were distant; like he was in shock.

"Poe. Listen to me. You have to stop. You're only hurting yourself."  
Poe jerked, "Look at me! I can't get this thing off!"

Ben lunged for Poe, trapping his hands. "I know, Poe. I understand."

"How!? How can you understand?

" _Look_ at me!" Ben roared. "Some mornings, I look in the mirror and want to tear off my arm and leg. You think I'm alright? How can I be!? I'm hideous! Everywhere I go, I get looks of pity and revulsion! Some days when Rey touches my cybernetics, I nearly shudder. I can't stand the sight of myself. You are not the only one who's been through this! It hurts like hell for a long time, and nothing you do helps." Ben rubbed at his left elbow. "I do a good job of pretending I don't care, but some days, I just want to tear the thing off. Do you know the _only_ reason why I've adjusted as well as I have? Rey. That's it. Just Rey. She keeps me together. You need to find something that does the same for you. Get back in the cockpit, Poe. Don't let this thing win." Ben rested his hands on Poe's shoulders.

Poe nodded. "Thanks, Ben."

"Of course. Just don't let me catch you doing something so foolish again." Poe nodded again. Ben helped him get into bed, where he fell quickly into a dreamless sleep. Ben left the room, feeling drained. Tyrga helped him into one of the beds in the medbay, where Ben quickly slept, thoroughly exhausted.

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***Author's Note***

So. Kinda a doozy. Don't worry, there will be more lemony happiness soon! Thanks for reading, as ever!


	20. Chapter 20

***Author's Note***

Hello, hello! Another chapter for your reading pleasure! Very lemony beginning to this one. Hope you like!

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Ben woke in the middle of the night, uncertain at first why he was awake. He sat up gingerly, wincing slightly at his wounds. He pulled his legs up onto the bed and settled into meditation stance. Sinking into the Force, he sought the disturbance that had woken him. _Rey_. It was Rey that had woken him. Ben worked his way slowly out of his meditative state and threw his feet over the edge of the bed, standing carefully. Entering the bacta tank room, he found Rey, shirt off, staring at her back. The tanks had not managed to repair the wound to her back without a scar. From her right hip to her left shoulder, there was an angry, jagged, puckered scar. Rey's hands were tracing the scar, a look of sheer horror on her face. "I'm disgusting," he heard her whispering. "He'll never look at me again; how can he?"

Ben walked quietly up to her, understanding in his eyes. Rey's eyes snapped forward and she stared, wide-eyed at Ben. Ben took her gently by the jaw and turned her head so she could see her back in the mirror. Gently, tenderly, he traced her scar with his right hand, feeling the new texture of her skin, and the way the scar seemed nearly as smooth as glass in some places. "Does it hurt?" Ben asked in a whisper. Rey shook her head no. "That's good." Ben took her by the shoulders and slowly turned her so her back was to him. He leaned down to her left shoulder and kissed the scar there, trailing kisses all the way down to her right hip. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her hip. "You could never be anything less than the most beautiful woman in the galaxy," he murmured. Rey stifled a sob. "What can I do, my Light?"

"Touch me. Please, make love to me. Make me forget." Came the broken, whispered reply.

Ben stood and took her carefully in his arms, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at his wound. He carried her into the main medbay and laid her on the bed he'd used. Waving his hand at the door, he made sure it was locked so that they would not be disturbed. Ben slowly removed the underwear she had been wearing in the bacta tank, and lowered himself to taste her warmth. Rey sighed as his tongue entered her, knotting her hands in his hair. Ben lifted his right hand, sliding it deliberately up the scar on her back, and back down again to cup her buttock. Rey arched and moaned softly. Ben stood and removed his clothing slowly while Rey watched him. He _felt_ her need uncurl inside of her, and it awakened his own. There had been so much pain, so much loss, that he needed to forget as badly as she did. Ben put one knee on the bed and gently lifted Rey's left leg to give him a better angle. Slowly, Ben covered her, gazing into her eyes. He searched them for a long moment until he read the assent that was there. Guiding himself smoothly into her entrance, he slid gently into her as he lowered himself to the bed, cradling her gently in his arms. "Rey," he whispered against her neck, as he kissed her softly just below the jawline. Slowly, gently, he worked his hips in a smooth rhythm, being careful not to rush. They savored each touch, each kiss, each movement as they rose slowly. Ben suckled gently on Rey's nipple, tracing the scar on her back. Rey's back arched in response; Ben smiled against her breast. He worked his hips just a bit faster, but being careful to remain gentle. Rey clasped herself to him and buried her face in his thick mane of hair, moaning. He felt her tighten around him, and released his seed into her as they climaxed together. Ben laid them both gently back to the bed, and heard a soft sob come from her. Ben pulled the blankets over them, wrapped her close, and held her as she cried.

A few hours later, they were still laying quietly together, and there came a tap on the door. Ben heard Tyrnia's voice through the door, "I am sorry, but my brother tried to enter, and found the door locked. Is all well?"

"Of course," replied Ben, "Our apologies. We'll be out in a moment." The two of them slipped out of bed and quickly dressed in the robes that had been laid out for them. Ben waved his hand, and the door opened. Rey clasped his hand tightly and pressed herself as tightly into Ben's side as she could. Ben squeezed her hand in response.

"Your mother wishes to see you," Tyrnia said softly. "She has requested of me to lead you to her." She glanced down at Rey, "It is my regret that your back did not heal with no scar."

Rey gave a fragile smile, "I'll be alright, Tyrnia. Thank you." Tyrnia set off at a brisk pace, and Ben follow quickly after. Rey was fascinated by the way Tagorians moved; it was like they were constantly on the verge of violence. She thought they were beautiful creatures, but terrifying.

Tyrnia led them to a large anti-chamber, Rey still clinging uncertainly to Ben's arm. They saw many familiar faces milling about; many were sporting new scars, especially the surviving Force-Users that had been on D'Qar. Ben made straight for his mother.

"Mother. I wanted to ask; Captain Morris...Did he..."

"I'm here, Sir. Thank you for your concern." The Captain now used a cane to walk, and had an eye patch over his left eye. "The cane is temporary; the eye patch, however..." He sighed forlornly. "Well, I suppose I can't complain. At least _I_ can still see. I would like to speak with you privately, Sir, when you have a moment."

"Of course, Captain. I will come find you when I can spare a moment." Ben sighed in relief. "Now. What was it that you needed to see us about, Mother?"

Leia glanced around and gestured for Rey and Ben to follow; Like trailed after them. Ben hadn't even noticed him lurking in the background. Leia looped one arm through her brother's and the other through her son's. The four of them walked in silence for quite some time, enjoying the peaceful moment, until Leia glanced at her brother and sighed.

"Luke and I were discussing something this morning; we need answers, and I think Ben is uniquely suited to be able to get us those answers."

Ben's lips pressed into a thin line, and Rey gasped as she realized just what it was that Leia meant. "No. No way. You're not using Ben like that! I won't let you." Ben stopped suddenly, pulling Rey to a halt.

"Rey," he said quietly, "She's my twin. If anyone can still reach her, I can. Failing that, I will get all the information from her that I can. I would rather my vision not come true. If there is anything at all that I can do to avoid it, I will do it gladly. What do you need of me?"

Luke nodded in satisfaction. "You need to seek her out through the Force, and have a conversation with her, just like when you were at the academy. I know this is difficult for both of you, but it must be done. There may yet be time to return Padme to the Light, if we act quickly, while she is still vulnerable."

Ben nodded, "Very well, Uncle. I will do all I can."

Leia cleared her throat, "Now, there is also the matter of our severely depleted forces. The battle of D'Qar cost us one-third of the brave souls that chose to stay, which is a large chunk of our fighting force. The loss of Force-Sensitives alone is devastating to us. We need to find a way to recruit. I thought perhaps we could use the smuggling trade to spread stories; cause sympathy for the Resistance. Perhaps let it out who Ren really is? Then, I had another thought, but I'm not sure how the two of you will react." Leia looked distinctly nervous. "It might help to solve two distinct problems. First, the recruiting problem, but more importantly, the morale problem."

"Okay, Mother. What's this brilliant idea of yours?" His mother shifted uncomfortably. It crossed Ben's mind that he had never seen his mother quite so nervous. _I have a bad feeling about this,_ he thought.

"Well, I thought a wedding might help." Leia said quietly. Ben blanched, Rey blushed. "Just listen. A declaration of love would improve morale immeasurably; not to mention the celebration thereof. It would also send a message. We are not afraid. We will not be bullied, and we are not going to stop living, just because Ren says we should. It is the ultimate act of defiance, of strength. Just think about it. Please?"

"I think they're both wonderful ideas, Leia," Luke put in, grinning wickedly.

Ben shot a glare at his Uncle. "No. Not on this planet or any other. Not in any lifetime I may..." Rey shifted. "Do you have something to add, my Light?"

Rey looked shyly up at Ben. "Well, I sort of think it's a good idea. And I could use some joy right now. Plus, it would give everyone something to do, and something _else_ to talk about. Right now, all anyone can talk about is the loss of D'Qar." Ben's defense utterly crumbled.

"Is this really what you want, my love?" Rey nodded. Ben smiled, "Alright, then. We agree. We'll leave the preparations to you, Mother."

Just then, Tryga came rushing towards them with a vicious, feline grace that left all who saw it glad he was not their enemy. "Come. This you must see," he said gruffly. He ran off, leaving Luke, Leia, Rey, and Ben to hurry after him as best they could, as half of them were still nursing battle wounds. They finally caught up to him, and found him waiting for them at the landing pads; it was towards these he was pointing.

What looked like a small fleet of shuttles was jockeying for somewhere to land. About a half-dozen had landed already, and it looked like there were at least another fifteen; not to mention the transport ships they could see entering the atmosphere and heading for the larger landing pads. Leia's mouth popped into a silent "O" of surprise. "Well, I take it we're not under attack. Tryga, who are all these people?"

Tryga shrugged, "Refugees. Ren has been attacking with no warning. These have fled. They are wishing to join the Resistance, I believe. No longer do they have homes, so home is what they are seeking. This, I understand."

Leia turned to Rey and Ben, "We'll go over everything we discussed again later. Right now, I need to sort this mess out." With that, the General turned on her heel and waded into the crush of bodies, looking for someone in charge. Ben didn't envy that person when she did find them.

Ben chuckled quietly to himself. "Well, Uncle, I suppose we should get started."

"Agreed," said Luke. Together, they began to make their way back to Luke's quarters. "Rey, you may need to pull him back. Padme has always been like gravity to Ben. You may need to remind him why he needs to return to himself."  
Rey nodded. "I understand. I know this needs to be done, but I don't like it."

Ben sighed, and pulled Rey closer, "Neither do I. Seeking out my sister's darkness is the last thing I want to do. But, as you said, it must be done." They entered Luke's chambers and sat in a triangle. The three of them sank into the Force, and Ben reached, seeking his twin.

 _Everything was white; Ben could see and feel nothing._

 _"_ _I've been expecting you, brother."_

 _"_ _I know. I'm here to talk, Padme."_

 _Ben sensed her impatience, "Padme Solo is dead. I am Master Ren."_

 _Suddenly, the stark whiteness faded, and Ben recognized the setting of the vision that had haunted him his entire life. His twin sat across from him, in her midnight robes, while Ben sat in his gray ones. Ben shook his head sadly, "You and I know that's not true. If that were the case, I would not have been able to reach you. Mother sent me. She hopes that you are well."_

 _Padme let out a mad giggle, "So, here we come to it, then. The truth of why you are here. Please, continue. I want to hear you beg."_

 _Ben frowned. "Padme, we miss you. We want you back._ I _want you back. I miss my twin." Ben stood and took a confident step forward, hand outstretched. "Take my hand, Padme. Come home to us."_

 _"_ _And, just where would 'home' be these days?"_

 _Ben felt her reach for his mind as she attempted to push further in; he pushed back. "No, Padme. That's not why I'm here. I'm here to bring you home."_

 _"_ _That's not going to happen, and you know it." Padme smiled at him, and there was little sanity left in her eyes._

 _Ben shuddered, "What happened to you? How did you fall so far?"_

 _Padme's eyes widened with insane amusement as she giggled again, "Don't you know? Haven't you guessed? Oh, what a wonderful game we have here," she lurched to her feet and began to pace like a caged animal. "Think, Ben. Think very, very hard about what may have driven me to this. I'm sure you'll figure it out."_

 _Ben thought, and searched his memories. And yet, he could not pinpoint the moment where he thought she had begun to turn._

 _Padme sighed in frustration. "It was_ you _! It was_ always _you!" Ben backed away, shaking his head. "Oh, yes, 'beloved' twin. Ever since that night that we first had that vision, I sought ways to keep it from happening. I wanted to save you from that fate. And then the thought came to me, I was so worried about you that I hadn't even begun to consider myself. When that fool of an Uncle of ours took us to the Academy to be trained, I knew I had an opportunity to find a solution. I listened to every word regarding premonitions. I quickly became an expert. When I was finally old enough to gain unlimited access to the Archives, I garnered the help of the old Archivist. Good old Snoke. He was so trusting." Padme grinned her mad grin, "He thought I was so innocent. But even then, it had begun. It was difficult to hide from Luke, but even harder to hide from you. So, I began to push my darkness into you; it was so very convenient. It allowed me to throw him off the scent, and you were so consumed with rage that you had little time to notice anything. I grew obsessed; I had convinced myself that I really was trying to save you. But as time went on and I spent more and more time away from you, closed up in the Archives, I began to see that what I really wanted was to be_ free _of you. You were always the one they wanted. You were the brilliant one. You were the one that was so highly praised. I was just the quiet one. The extra one. The one nobody expected, nobody wanted. I grew to_ hate _you, and still I loved you. I knew it had to end. I found that if I tried, I could take over minds. I started it with you. You were always the easiest to control. Force Persuasion has its limits, but not this. This could not be fought. It was like a poison in the blood. You had no choice but to succumb. I relished in it. I began to invade Snoke's mind; I twisted it with great ease. For such an old man, he wasn't very wise. I ordered him to lead me ever further into the Archives, into older and darker knowledge, until at last, I found it. What I had been looking for, without ever knowing what I had been seeking. I found a way to rid myself of you, of your destiny. The Sith were the way. I found that, in order to gain the abilities of the Sith, I had to sacrifice the thing that was most important to me. That, of course, was you. Our Force Bond. It was always...crucial...to me. So, I came up with a plan. I had Snoke take me off-planet, and_ pushed _the vision towards you. I knew you would see, so we put on a nice little show for you. I even let him cut off my arm." Padme wiggled her right hand. "Then, I had him run his light-saber through my chest. At just the right moment, I severed our connection, or at least I thought I had. Perhaps I only damaged it. Hmm. It matters little now. It served its purpose. I was free of you. It pulled you into the darkness with me, though, which was unexpected. I found you very useful, however. For instance, I was able to kill our father through you._ That _, I enjoyed immensely. Sadly, you turned on me. For some little...scavenger...Your pet. She makes me sick. Both of you do. I_ will _have her head on a stake, and_ you _will put it there. You will return to me, and complete your training. Stay, my twin. I know you want to."_

 _Something was wrong. Who was he? Where was he? This wasn't right, was it? He was falling, drowning in Padme's will, sliding again into darkness from which there would be no second escape._

 _"_ _Come back to me," came the call. "Come home now, Ben. You've done all you can. Take my hand, my love." Ben looked up to see Rey holding her hand out to him._

 _"_ _No," snarled Padme. "He's mine! Leave him!"_

 _Ben shuddered as he looked into Rey's eyes. He could_ feel _the darkness creeping into his veins; it_ was _like a poison. He stared pleadingly at Rey, and then back at Padme. For a moment, his resolve wavered. Finally, with a tortured cry, he wrenched his gaze away from his beloved twin, and grabbed on to Rey's hand like it was a lifeline._

Ben jerked awake to find his head in Rey's lap, and tears soaking into his robes. "Padme," he groaned.

"I know, my love. I'm so sorry. Tryga had some quarters set up for us. Come; we should both rest."

Ben nodded numbly and let Rey lead him back to their new room. He did not argue as she stripped him bare and laid him gently in the bed before she stripped bare, herself, and climbed in beside him. She pulled Ben's head into her chest just as he began to weep, heartbroken. They remained in that position until, exhausted, they fell at last into a dreamless sleep.

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***Author's Note***

Okay, so obviously a very plot-heavy chapter. But what is to come? Muahahahaha. You'll just have to tune in tomorrow, hahaha. Hope you enjoyed it; as ever, let me know in the reviews what you thought, and thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

***Author's Note***

Hello, hello, dear readers! I'm so sorry that it took me this long to upload a new chapter. I've been suffering from the dreaded Writer's Block this week, but I finally broke through, and the chapter stopped fighting me. Pretty long one today, and lots of plot and twistiness, but we start out with some nice lemony goodness! Enjoy!

Ben woke in the morning with an aching head and sore eyes. He shifted against Rey's chest, and she pulled him closer. "Good morning," she mumbled. "I didn't want to wake you. You needed your rest. How did you sleep?"

"Silently," Ben grunted. "I thought for sure I'd have nightmares, but nothing. Thank the Powers."

"Do you want to go get breakfast?"

"Do you count as breakfast?" He teased, as he crawled on top of her. Rey giggled as he nuzzled her neck and sighed as his hand found her breast. He slid down her curves, trailing kisses all the way, making her back arch as she sighed with pleasure. His thumbs traced circles on her sensitive nipples, and she moaned. She gripped his hair as he began to lap at her center, and pressed him to her, urging him to delve deeper. He obliged, reveling in the taste of her, the smell of her. He gasped as she pressed her knee gently to his hardening member. Ben got to his knees as Rey took his manhood into her hand and began to stroke it. While he knelt on the bed, Rey crawled to him slowly. She watched as a hungry gleam came into his eyes, and he watched her possessively, growing harder as she crawled. At last, she reached him and rose over his erection, pausing for a moment to watch the greed spring into his eyes. Slowly, she lowered herself onto him, and he groaned in pleasure. Ben wrapped his arms around her, tracing her scar reverently. She worked her hips, taking him deeper into her; Ben lifted his hips to match her rhythm. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back on the bed, shaking her head. She lifted up again, tangling her hands in her hair. She rocked her hips, driving both of them into madness. Faster and faster she rocked, causing Ben to cry out her name in ecstasy. Just as they could take no bore, Ben sat quickly up, holding Rey to him tightly, pounding his length into her as they shuddered into an orgasm. It ripped through them, and they both cried out. Gently, they laid each other back down on the bed, panting.

After a few long moments, Ben lifted himself off of Rey, drawing up to his knees. He looked down at her; her eyes were still soft, her hair rumpled, and her skin still flushed from exertion. His heart warmed as he looked at her.

"What?" She asked.

Ben smiled. "Nothing," he said. "I was just thinking how beautiful you look lying there."

Rey rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Yeah, until I roll over."

Ben narrowed his eyes. "Alright, then. Roll over." Rey sputtered. "You heard me, woman. Roll over." She did as he asked, and he positioned himself with one knee on either side of her hips. He placed his hands at the base of her neck, and gently ran his fingertips down the length of her spine. Rey shivered in response; Ben continued tracing her back, moving his fingertips along the base of her back to her hips. Here, his left hand paused, while his right lightly brushed her scar. This tips of his fingers danced over the scar, all the way up to her left shoulder. He leaned down, and kissed her scar where it met the middle of her back.

"Roll over," he said, lifting up again, but still straddling her. She complied, and he leaned close again. Ben lifted her right hand and traced her fingers across the scar on his face that she had given him, resting her hand on his neck. "See? Now we match. We're not so different now, my Light." Ben smiled and wiped the tears from the corners of Rey's eyes before he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Rey wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted herself so she could kiss Ben's forehead, then his scar, and finally his lips, in a gesture that had become a pleasant, comforting routine. "Thank you, Ben. I love you."

"We should get dressed," Ben said regretfully. Rey nodded her agreement. They had just finished putting on their robes when Ben turned and calmly said, "Hello, Father. It's been awhile."

Rey turned with a startled "Gah!"

"Hey, Kids. I'm sure you have a few...choice words for me."

Ben sighed. "I thought I would. How long have you known about Padme?"

Han stared sadly at his son. "I knew the first time I appeared to you. I couldn't tell you. You had to find out on your own; I'm sorry, Ben. Are you angry with me?"

Ben rubbed the fingers of his cybernetic hand together thoughtfully. "Angry? No, Father. I'm not angry. I was at first, but I think I understand why you couldn't tell me. Things had to happen exactly as they did, in the order that they did, or I would not have possessed the strength to remain in the Light. I would have rejoined her, and we would be back at square one."

Han smiled proudly at his son. "That's exactly right. You seem to be having a positive effect on him, Rey. You've become more thoughtful since you let Rey in. Now; there are some things we need to discuss. Reaching out to Padme; that was brave, and a good move, besides. I know it didn't go very well the first time, but I think you need to try again. She may still be able to be saved. You Uncle would probably agree."

Ben nodded, "That makes sense. It could be that it won't happen all at once, like a stone dropped into a lake."

"What about the Force-Sensitives? They need training, especially the younglings; Luke can't handle it all alone anymore. He'll need your help."

"I'd already thought of that," Rey put in. "I thought we'd offer our assistance; what do you think, Ben? It could also show them that the only ways aren't the Jedi or the Sith. There's a middle road."

Ben smiled, "It would seem our thoughts are of an accord. I was going to ask you this morning. Luke is stoic, but he will have an adjustment period while he gets used to being blind, and using the Force to see."

Han nodded in satisfaction. "That's good, but it begs the question: what are you going to call yourselves? You can't go around calling yourselves 'Force-Users'. You need some sort of title."

Rey grinned, "Actually, I've been thinking about that, too. Why don't we call ourselves the 'Neutral Order'? Meaning neither Jedi nor Sith, not our affiliation with the Force."

Ben thought for a moment, "I actually like the sound of that. Well, then; we'll help Luke train the Force-Sensitives. Who knows how many new Sensitives we may have among the refugees."

Han frowned thoughtfully, "There's every possibility that the First Order has sneaked spies in with the refugees, Ben."

Ben nodded, "That had occurred to me. I'll just have to keep an eye out. I'll go over it with Mother; see if she has any ideas."

Han looked down, "How is she doing, by the way?"

Ben laughed, "You don't need to worry about her, Father. She's found companionship."

"Oh, really? With whom?"

Ben grinned, "Captain Antilles."

Han's eyebrows flew up in surprise, "Wedge? Wow. That's one that I _never_ saw coming." He chuckled, "Well, good for them. So, I think I should start questioning your sanity, Ben."

Ben cocked his head, "Oh?"

"You're letting your _mother_ plan your wedding?! You know how she gets. Well, it's you funeral, I mean, wedding; she'll make it one to remember, at least."

Ben shook his head and Rey rolled her eyes, "That's sort of the point," she responded. "We're making it into an event for everyone to share in; they need the morale boost."

Han held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright, Kid. You win. There's one more thing I wanted to discuss with you, and it concerns Rey."

Rey looked up in surprise. "Me? What could you possibly have to discuss with me?"

Han crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, Kid, I know you're fine with not having a past, but the Jedi believe that you can't reach your full potential unless you accept everything about yourself. I know you're not Jedi, but I still think it's important. I'll give you the choice, Rey; would you like to know your heritage?"

Ben watched Rey, smiling slightly. Her jaw had gone slightly slack, and her eyes were wide. Dumbfounded, all she could do was nod. Ben led her to the bed, where she sat heavily, torn between terror and excitement.

Han took three steps forward and knelt in front of her. "I'd take your hands, but I'd just pass through you," he chuckled ruefully. "Rey, you come from quite the powerful Jedi. As a matter of fact, you are the last surviving member of an old and highly-regarded line of Force-Sensitives. Your Grandfather personally trained two of the most powerful, most legendary Jedi that have ever lived. You are the last surviving member of the Kenobi line."

"Are you telling me...that _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ was my _Grandfather_?"

Han chuckled, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you. How do you feel?"

"Relieved. Isn't that odd? I always dreamed about what I'd do if I ever found out the truth about who I am, and now I know who I am, but I feel no different. It's almost like I've always known. It's just a relief to hear it out loud, after all these years."

Han smiled, "I'm glad, Kid. I knew your Grandfather; he was a good man. You'd have liked him. You remind me of him a lot. He was full of faith and this incurable optimism. He knew exactly who he was, and where he was going. He never once was swayed by the Dark Side. He was full of this...inherent goodness, just like you, Kid. You couldn't help but trust the old man. I would never have admitted it the, but I was very fond of him. Now that you know I wouldn't be at all surprised if he showed up at some point to meet you. He'll probably want to tell you your story himself. That's a weird statement, isn't it?"

"Thank you, Han. This means a lot to me. It's nice to finally know."

"Any time, Kid. Well, enjoy the wedding. And the honeymoon," he winked at his son, "I'll pop in again another day. I love you, Ben."

"I love you, too, Father," Ben replied as his father's spirit faded from sight."

"I'm actually starting to get used to that," he mused. "Is that strange?" he asked Rey.

Rey shrugged, "I'm not sure anything is considered strange for Force-Users."

"This is true," chuckled Ben. Just then, there was a beep at the door. Rey waved her hand, and it wooshed open to admit Finn. "Finn!" Rey exclaimed joyfully. "Where have you been? And how's Poe doing? Is he adjusting well to his new hand?"

Finn smiled and embraced his friend, glancing nervously at Ben, "I've been busy helping organize all the new recruits; most of the refugees have joined the Resistance. As for Poe, he's...doing alright, I guess. He's a bit withdrawn still, but I think he'll be alright. He's been figuring out how to use his cybernetic hand, and he's gotten back to piloting, so I guess he's adjusting." Finn shrugged, "But that's not why I'm here. Master Luke sent me to get you. He said he's going to start training the younglings, and he thought you'd like to join them."

Ben smirked, "You know, my Uncle doesn't miss a thing. I'd bet he knew my father came for a visit."

Rey smiled. "I'm sure you're right. We'll come, Finn."

Finn led them through the compound and out to the surrounding forest. "Thanks, Finn. I think we can find our way from here," Finn waved and trotted back to the compound. Just through the trees, they found Luke surrounded by a group of younglings, lecturing them on the ways of the Force.

"The Force isn't some magical fairy godmother that gives you whatever you want. It has a will of its own; you may want one thing from it, but it will often give you something entirely different."

A small Twi'lek girl raised her hand, "But Master, what about moving things with the Force? How does that fit with the will of the Force?"

Luke smiled and turned his head in the girl's direction, "An excellent question, Layna. The abilities that the Jedi are most well known for are of little importance to the Force. The will of the Force isn't like your will, or my will. The Force cares little for small things; it is more concerned with the greater good, which is the primary purpose of the Jedi Order. For example, I may meditate for hours, looking for answers to questions, but the Force will show me answers to questions I never thought to ask. At other times, it may show me exactly what I want to know. In this way, the Force has a will of its own. However, that being said, I would not say that the Force is a sentient entity. The Force itself is neither Light, nor Dark. Nor would I term it particularly benevolent. As long as there is balance, the Force is content to allow things to go on as they are. However, there are those who will always seek to unbalance the Force. Therefore, there will always be a system of checks and balances, so that there is never too much Dark, and never too much Light. The galaxy would fall into disorder if ever that were to happen. Now, to say that the Sith and the Jedi are the only entities in the galaxy striving for this would be an unfair assumption, and grossly incorrect besides. Throughout the history of the Galaxy, there have been individuals that found the lifestyle of the Jedi Order to be too...constricting. These individuals were often trained by the Jedi for their own safety, as well as for the safety of others, and allowed to go their own way once their training was complete. Recently, it was decided that a new Order would be formed, which will henceforth be known as the Neutral Order, meaning they are neither Sith nor Jedi, but still walk in the Light. As it happens, we have two such individuals with us today, and they will be helping with your training. Please allow me to introduce the Masters of the Neutral Order, Master Ben Solo, and Master Rey Kenobi. Please, come forward, Masters."

Ben took Rey's hand, and together they joined Luke in the center of the group. "Thank you, Uncle. Good morning, younglings. As Master Luke said, we have begun a new Order, for those who find the Jedi lifestyle to be too constricting, but still wish to serve the greater good. We will operate very much like the Jedi, but with less constrictions on your personal lives. We will aid the Jedi Order at every opportunity, and we will serve much the same purpose. The most simple and immediate way to tell us apart will be the robes we wear. The Neutral Order will wear robes such as those you see Master Rey and I wearing; varying shades of gray. Master Skywalker?"

Luke smiled, "Well spoken, Master Solo. Now, younglings; close your eyes, and extend your minds beyond your physical selves. Stretch your awareness into the Force; feel it moving around you, binding together all living things. Well done. Learn to differentiate between different people through the Force; each person _feels_ different. I may be blind, but I still know who is around me through the Force." The three Masters stayed with the younglings for the next two hours, helping each of the children begin to test their Force abilities. At long last, Luke called a halt to the exercise. "Very good, younglings. I am proud of your progress. You may use the next three hours however you choose."

Luke stood with Ben and Rey as the children left, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. As the last of the younglings vanished through the trees, Luke turned to Ben, "I'm sure you've figured out that I know everything you and Han talked about this morning." Ben nodded. "I think his idea of reaching out for Padme again is a good idea, and I don't think we should wait any longer."

Ben put a hand on his Uncle's shoulder, "I was thinking the same thing." They gathered once again in Luke's chambers in the same triangle formation as the day before, and Ben sank into the Force, reaching for Padme.

 _She was waiting for him. Ben found himself in the same field as the day before, with Padme standing before him. There was something different about her demeanor this time. She stood, perfectly calm, rather than pacing as she did the day before._

 _"_ _You came back. That was foolish."_

 _"_ _Perhaps," Ben agreed, "But I had to try. I had to see you again. You're my sister; my_ twin _. I love you."_

 _Padme scowled, "Yes, you always did suffer from such weaknesses. I will give you one last chance to join me. I will even accept your pet. I could make great use of your strength."_

 _Ben shook his head, "No, Padme. I will not join with you, and neither will Rey."_

 _"_ _So. You come to me in your weakness, trying to sway me back to the Light. It won't work, and it may well be your doom. I will see all that you love torn down around you, bleeding at your feet. There will never be a 'Neutral Order'! I won't allow it! I would rather see you dead than fall to such weakness."_

 _Ben took a step backwards, "How did you know about that?"_

 _Padme grinned maliciously, "Did you really think that I wasn't going to utilize our Force Bond!? Now that you know I am alive, I have no reason to refrain from using the Bond to gain information. You opened your mind to me willingly; it weakened you so you did not notice my intrusion. You will pay for your foolishness. Goodbye, brother."_

 _Ben stumbled backwards as he felt Padme push her way into his mind. Through their Bond, he felt a great darkness surge into him..._

Rey jerked out of trance and lunged for Ben, "Luke! Something's wrong! Padme is doing something to Ben."

Luke looked stricken. "I know; I can sense it. It's something...dark. Look at Ben, and tell me what you see."

"He's paling rapidly, and there are dark veins spreading through his skin." Just then, Ben's eyes flew open and he screamed, with mind and voice, as though he were in terrible pain. His eyes flew open, and Rey saw, to her horror, that the whites of his eyes had completely vanished. The entire eye was completely black. The black veins were spreading from his eyes to the rest of him, and down his neck. The worst was that Rey could feel Ben's Force Signature fading. "Luke, I think he's been poisoned! How could that happen?"

Luke put a hand on Rey's shoulder, "Relax, Rey. He'll be fine. Lift him with the Force, and we'll take him to the medbay." As they rushed along, Ben floating beside him, Tandorian and Resistance Fighter alike parted before them, looking on in terror. Rey gently brought Ben down on one of the beds, and got to work. She sank into the Force and _dove_ towards Ben, seeking his Life-Force and extended her thoughts towards Luke. _Luke; I think he's been poisoned. Is that possible?_

 _Yes; if you're right, then Padme is more truly a Sith than we thought. It is possible to use pure Dark Force energy to poison a Light Side Force-User. I think this is what she's done. If it is, then you'll have a lot of work to do, if we are going to keep him alive._

Seeing through the Force, Rey saw that he was right. There was a Darkness seeping through Ben, heading for his heart. She knew that if it reached its goal, Ben would die. Rey assaulted the Darkness inside him with pure Light energy, attempting to force back the Dark, but she was soon surrounded. Just as she was beginning to despair, she sensed another entity join her. Luke joined with her mind, and together they began to force back the Dark. A third being joined them, and before long, they had completely burned the Darkness away. Distantly, they _felt_ Padme's scream of rage as she sensed the last of her poison burn from her brother's mind.

Surfacing back to herself, Rey looked around to see Luke supporting his own twin. "General?"

Leia shuddered out a sigh, "I felt Ben was in danger. I came directly here, and when I saw the two of you, I knew you would need help, so I acted on instinct."

"Thank the Force that you did, sister. We might have lost him if you hadn't acted so quickly."

Rey stumbled over to the bed where Ben lay, motionless and pale. "I don't think he's out of danger yet. He'll have a bit of recovery to do yet. I'll stay with him. You two tell the others what happened.

Luke shook his head, "No we need to cut off his connection to Padme, once and for all. If she could do this to him in so short a time, there is no telling what she can do. I'll do it. I should have done it when they were young, and I felt something was off. I will not let her drag him down a second time."

Luke sank into trance again, this time seeking Ben's Force Bond with Padme; it was there, still burning brightly, and as strong as ever. _Forgive me, Ben. But I must protect you, even if you hate me for it later._ He sensed Ben's understanding and acceptance. _Help me, Uncle,_ came the weak thought.

Luke's resolve hardened at the desperation in that single thought. He reached towards the Force Bond, and _**pulled**_. As it stretched taught, he cut it in a way that it would rebound as painlessly as possible back to Ben. As Luke came out of the trance, a Force Wave burst out of Ben, knocking everyone in the room flat on their backs.

"Rey! He needs you! Reach for him, or we may yet lose him to his pain!"

Rey let out a strangled sob and threw her thoughts towards Ben. _It's alright, Ben. I'm still here. Find our Bond; it's still there. Please, my love, fight it! I can't do this without you._ Rey felt Ben's panic subside somewhat, but his pain was still palpable. Rey took Ben's hand and sank to the ground beside him, weeping at their shared pain.

***Author's Note***

There you go! Hope you enjoyed it. Poor Ben; everything seems to happen to him, doesn't it? Hope you liked this chapter; as ever, let me know what you thought in the reviews section. I'll hopefully get another chapter up tonight, but definitely tomorrow. Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

_It was dark. The darkness was absolute. There was no sound, no feeling, no color. Only the sheer, suffocating darkness. And then the dreams began. They were slithering all over him, and around him. Hideous black snakes with glowing eyes of red. They hissed with lust for his blood. Ben screamed as they tore into his flesh; though he used all the resources he possessed, he felt himself fading away. With every bite, his strength waned, and he knew he could take no more. Suddenly, the serpents withdrew and drew together, forming an image of Padme. "You could never have defeated me, brother. You are too weak, and you know it. You have always been too driven by your heart; it will always sway you from doing what is necessary. Give up now, brother, and rest. You will never win."_

 _Just then, a glimmer of light appeared in the darkness..."Rey..." He muttered weakly. "She can't save you. She will die in the darkness with you!" Suddenly, the darkness redoubled and surged for the pinprick of light; soon, it was utterly surrounded. The light put up a good fight, but soon it was overwhelmed, and it seemed that it would go out completely. Just as Ben began to despair, another light joined the first...and another! Together, the three lights drove away the darkness. He heard Padme's feral scream of rage echo through his head. "It doesn't matter, my twin. I will return, and you won't be able to deny me a second time!" Padme's insane cackle rang in his head, and he felt himself sink lower into the darkness, losing sight of the light that had rescued him, however fleetingly._

 _There was someone in his head. They were looking for something...trying to save him. Ben knew they had to succeed, no matter the cost, but he sensed a great trepidation coming from them. "Forgive me, Ben, but I must protect you, even if you hate me for it later." His Uncle's thought came through, clear as day._

 _"_ _Help me, Uncle." Was all Ben had the strength to send to Luke. Ben felt Luke's surprise, then his determination as he found what he had been searching for. Ben sensed Luke reach for the Force-Bond Ben shared with Padme, take hold, and_ _ **pull**_ _with all of his considerable strength._ No, not that. But, he wouldn't if it wasn't necessary. I'll accept any amount of pain to be free of her influence. _Ben's resolve hardened as he felt Luke cut the Bond between himself and his beloved twin. The pain was instantaneous, and all-consuming. Ben felt his consciousness sliding into the void, and knew his time was near._

 _A voice in the dark was all that sustained him. "It's alright, Ben. I'm still here. Find our Bond; it's still there. Please, my love, fight it! I can't do this without you." Ben grabbed hold of that voice._ Rey _, came the thought._ I can't leave her. _Ben sensed her presence remain with him in the dark; for how long he stayed there, he could not recall, even years along. But as time went on, a pinprick of light grew and grew, until at long last, Ben felt himself begin to stir._

Ben's eyes flew open, and he shuddered in a gasp. Rey cried out and flung herself at him; he brought his hand up dazedly, trying to remember exactly what had happened. Rey caught his hand, bringing it to her chest. "We were so afraid you wouldn't wake up. Your mother's been obsessed with the damn wedding, insisting that you'd be fine. I guess I should know better by now than to go against your mother. I've been here with you since she poisoned you; that was nearly four weeks ago, now. You've been in a coma ever since. I was so afraid, Ben." Rey could say no more and dissolved into tears.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm awake now, my Light. Don't cry, shh. I'm here. I was out nearly a month?Really?"

Rey nodded, "We were starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up. Finn and Poe told me not to worry, but I couldn't help it. I haven't strayed from your side since that awful day. Even Chewie was worried about you." Just then, the door to the medbay wooshed open to admit Chewie, Finn, and Poe.

"You're awake!" exclaimed Finn, rushing to his friend's side. Chewie roared with joy, and everyone laughed. "I'm glad you're gonna be okay. Rey's been a real mess. You'd better be ready to get married, though. Your mother's been working like a woman possessed for the last four weeks. The wedding is set for tomorrow! Makes me wonder if she didn't have some kind of vision or something. She sure seemed to know a hell of a lot more than the rest of us!" Finn finished with a laugh.

"I hope you'll let me be your Best Man," said Poe. "Luke's officiating, so I hope you'll let me..."

Ben grinned at his friend, "I would be honored, my friend. Thank you."

As the happy group chattered away about how ridiculously lavish the wedding was bound to be, since Leia had handled every last detail herself, the door wooshed open to admit Ben's beloved mother. "You're awake. Good. I knew you would be." Leia rushed over and wrapped her arms around her son. "I hope you're ready to marry this woman. If not, I can postpone the wedding a few days..."

Ben reached up and took his mother's face in his hands, "Mother; I don't want to wait any longer to marry Rey. I am ready. I was expecting to be nervous before my wedding, but I find that I am excited, instead. I already belong to Rey; tomorrow will simply make it official."

"Well said, my son. You should eat something and rest. You'll need your strength tomorrow." Ben nodded as she rose to leave shooing Finn, Poe, and Chewie before her.

Rey chuckled, "Your mother is a force to be reckoned with. She may be small, but she's terrifying."

Ben chortled, "You should have been raised by her! Then, she'd really make your knees shake!."

The pair laughed for a moment, with their arms wrapped lovingly around each other. Just then, a droid entered with a tray of food for the two of them to share, and a carafe of wine. They ate their fill of meats and cheeses, and drank a few goblets of wine each; finally, they decided they were ready to take some rest. Rey climbed into Ben's bed and together, they drifted into a dreamless sleep.

The morning of the wedding dawned bright and clear. Two Tagorians entered before the sun had fully risen over the trees. "We're here to make you ready for the wedding," they said. The pair took Rey and Ben to separate rooms and set immediately to work. The next two hours were a blur of fabric and Tagorians doing... _something_ with Ben's hair. At long last, when he felt that he had been pinched, pulled, and decorated as much as he could stand, they stood aside, watching him with approval and pride in their eyes. Ben walked over to the mirror and stood, staring at his reflection. He could hardly believe the elegant figure in the mirror was him. Elegant...there was no other word for it. He was clothed in a tunic and soft, flowing trousers of a dusky, charcoal gray. The trousers were tucked into boots of deepest black, and his waist was adorned with a leather belt of midnight blue, his light-sabers clipped to it, one on each side. To tie everything together, around Ben's neck was a bright silver chain with a gem the size of an egg, the color of deepest sapphire. His hair had been bound at the base of his neck with a midnight blue leather cord, allowing it to fall softly around his face, covering his rather substantial ears and softening the severe features of his face.

At last, the Tagorians led Ben from the room to a large chamber, which had been lavishly decorated with white and pink roses, spilling luxuriously our of their stands. From the walls hung silver curtains, stretching from ceiling to floor. A grand chandelier had been hung; it was made of silver rope and great beads of crystal. Crystal hung from the chandelier in ropes, giving the impression that someone had frozen a waterfall. Light glittered off the crystal and refracted into a thousand different colors on the walls, floor, and ceiling. At the end of the chamber, a great dais had been raised, and an arch had been installed at the top of the dais. The arch was adorned with more roses placed artfully within vines of a deep green, and trailed down the railing of the stairway leading to the dais. A long rug of shining silver had been stretched from the great double-doors of the chamber, all the way up the staircase. Ben thought he had never seen anything more elegant or beautifully suited to his and Rey's personalities. He was completely overwhelmed as he spotted his mother, overseeing a few last-minute details. As he strode over to her, she turned just in time for him to wrap his arms around her. "Thank you, Mother. It's beautiful." Leia smiled and patted her son's cheek before turning back to her details.

Ben made his way to the top of the dais and waited patiently; Poe climbed the dais shortly after and too his place beside Ben. Finally, the crowd began to slowly file in, gazing about themselves in amazement at the incredible job Leia had done decorating the place, and taking their seats as quickly as they could. Ben even spotted his father's glimmering outline in the very back. He thought he also saw his Grandfather and, unless he was very much mistaken, Obi-Wan Kenobi had come to see his Granddaughter's wedding. Ben smiled to himself; he thought he had never been so happy in his life.

At long last, there was a great trumpet fare, and the double-doors swung wide open. Poe clapped Ben on the shoulder and chuckled slightly. First, a line of bridesmaids came floating down the aisle, wearing gowns of flowing silver, scattering rose petals as they came. Finally, Rey herself entered; Ben felt his jaw unhinge and his heart stop. She was wearing a gown of purest white; the neckline scooped low, stopping just at her breasts, leaving her shoulders and collarbone exposed. A thin cord of midnight blue was wound around her waist, and left to trail down the front of the gown. The gown itself flowed away from Rey's body like water. The skirt was so massive that he wondered in a distant corner of his mind how it was that she managed to walk in the damn thing; the voluminous skirt stood out at least a foot from Rey's hips, falling in many-pleated folds. Her hair had been piled on top of her head, leaving her throat and jawline bare; a delicate veil of sheer lace had been secured to her hair with sliver combs that were set with small blue gems. The veil fell down her back, stopping just short of the ground, and in front it fell to her breasts, giving her an air of other-worldliness. One her feet were a pair of silver high-heeled slippers. Finally, there was a pendant hanging just between her breasts that matched the one he wore himself.

Ben watched as she glided down the aisle towards him; they could have been alone in the hall, for all that he knew or cared. She was his world, and all that mattered in the entire room. He took three steps down the staircase, holding out his cybernetic hand to help her the last few steps. His Uncle (when did he arrive?) smiled and took one of their hands in his own as he began to speak.

"Today, we have gathered to be witness to these two as they bind themselves evermore in the Force, and in love. I have personally witnessed the change in my nephew at the hands of this woman. I had little hope that Ben could ever be saved from himself, until she met him. So, today, I ask all here assembled if there is any reason that can be thought of why these two should not be so joined." The hall was silent, "Good; then with no further ado, I will ask these two to declare themselves, one to another." With that, Luke handed a ring to Rey, and a ring to Ben.

Ben spoke first, "Rey, when first we met, I was drowning in my own hatred, and I didn't even know it. You had no reason to help me, but you reached in and plucked me from the darkness that I had nourished in myself. At your hands, I felt my old self die, and a new self take control. I have never known such strength, beauty, and light as I have known this past year with you by my side. Never have I known such love, nor will I ever again. Where you go, I go. When you weep, I will weep. And when you laugh, I will laugh. I have irrevocably bound my heart to yours, and I would not change a single moment. You are my Light, my Love, and my Life, and I will never stray from your side." As Ben finished, he slipped the ring onto Rey's finger.

"Ben, when first I met you, the only thought I had was how to escape you. I was terrified of you, and with good reason. But as time went on and I began to know you deeply, I found that you were, in fact, a kind person at heart. I discovered that you have a fierce loyalty in you that has kept me alive many times that I should have died. I have never known a man like you, so full of life and energy; some days I wonder where you get it. My heart and my life were empty before you. But now, I will never again be lonely. You are my Light, my Love, and my Life, and I will never stray from your side." Rey slipped the ring onto Ben's finger, and the pair glanced over at Luke.

He was smiling at them, sheer joy emanating from him as he turned his empty eye sockets towards them, "With the power that is vested in me, and the will of the Force, I name you husband and wife. What are you waiting for? Kiss her!" The hall erupted into laughter as Ben reverently lifted the veil and kissed his beloved gently, holding her face in his hands as though it were made of glass. Ben took Rey's arm in his as they made their way down the staircase, grinning like a pair of fools. The crowd around them surged forward to clasp their hands or to pound them on the back. Two Tandorians led the pair to an anti-chamber which had been heavily decorated to match the wedding ceremony. There was one long table laden with food along one side of the room, while smaller, round tables were interspersed throughout the room. A long table was a the front of the room, and it was to this table that the wedding party was led.


	23. Chapter 23

***Author's Note***

Okay, so I totally forgot to put an author's note yesterday; oops! Anyway, the next couple chapters are going to be complete fluff, given that there's been so much seriousness for such a long time. Hope y'all enjoyed the wedding ceremony; there's more wedding fun in this chapter. Enjoy!

Ben and Rey sat at the long table, overlooking their friends. Rey reached over and took Ben's cybernetic hand in her right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ben beamed at her and raised her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles. They turned their attention back to the crowd before them as Tagorians filed in carrying great trays heavily laden with drinks, which they began to distribute. As glasses were handed down the long table, Poe stood and waited for the room to fall silent.

"Okay; so, I'm the best man, which makes it my holy responsibility to thoroughly _humiliate_ the happy couple!" This announcement was greeted with raucous cheers and a great deal of laughter.

"Don't you dare, Poe!" Rey brandished her fist in mock-seriousness, utterly failing to keep fro laughing.

Poe laughed, "Apologies, my lady, but they're expecting it now, and I never disappoint my audience! I don't think I need to remind anyone exactly how I met Ben, here, so I won't get into the painful details. Suffice to say, we were trying to kill each other. (At this, Ben muttered in a stage whisper, "I _still_ want to kill him, sometimes:) I'm sure you can guess who came out on top in _that_ fight! Seriously, though; the next time I saw this bastard, he was...diminished. Course, that kinda happens when you're missing limbs." Ben put his face in his left hand and raised the middle finger of his right, which caused an uproar of laughter.

Still chuckling, Poe continued, " As I was saying, the next time I saw him, he was missing a couple of limbs, and Rey refused to leave his side. For the life of me, I could not figure out why she trusted him; I sure as hell didn't! We were stuck together on the _Falcon_ for days and I began to see, against my will, I might add, how devoted he was to Rey, and how he depended on her for everything. And I do mean _everything_. It was something else to see _this_ guy openly accepting help for everything from brushing his hair to buckling his boots. But still, I didn't trust him. I hated looking at his stupid face everywhere I went on D'Qar. Even so, I made sure that I knew where he was, and what he was doing. It wasn't until Captain Morris over there decided that it was a good idea to bring up Padme that I started to see him as a _person_ with actual _feelings_.

"It was...disturbing, somehow, seeing this enormous man with unbelievable power sobbing like a baby (Poe ducked as Ben mock-swung at him). But I didn't start to actually _trust_ him until he personally led the Endor Liberation. I watched him fight like a demon to protect those children. And then stories started coming in. People with terrible wounds suddenly found those wounds healing just enough to keep them going. A blaster-bolt that should have been fatal was deflected to hit somewhere less vital or missed them altogether. It started to circulate that Ben had done those things. That was the moment I stopped regarding him as my enemy, and even began to trust him, just a little.

"The day I lost my hand, though, and got this shiny new replacement, that was when I started to see him as a friend. He helped me come to terms with my new hand, and kept me from being stupid and truly hurting myself. I have seen him go from a cruel, heartless bastard to one of the best men I've ever had the honor to call 'friend'. So; in closing, brother, I would like to propose a toast to your happiness and longevity. And I would like to add that every fight the two of you find yourselves in, and we all know there will be many, you will find me fighting right beside you."

Poe lifted his glass and drank as Ben stood and embraced his friend warmly. "I hate you so much right now," he said, laughing.

Finn, who had been sitting on Poe's right, stood and cleared his throat. "I'm not really known as that guy that makes speeches; that was always Poe. But I felt like I had to say something to Rey. Before I met you, I'd never had a friend before. The day we met, I knew, somehow, that I would always be safe with you. You and I have watched each others' backs from the moment we met. So, the first time I saw the two of you together, I decided I'd watch and wait. I always figured he'd betray us, but I was wrong. I don't think that I've ever known a better man. So, I'll say to you, Ben, take care of our girl. You're not the only one here who loves her." Finn raised his glass in a toast, "May you both live long, prosperous lives, and may you someday find peace."

Rey stood to hug her friend, with tears in her eyes. "Well, if the speech-making portion of the evening is over, lets eat!"

A large crowd of Tagorians rose and moved swiftly and gracefully towards the food table each picking up a platter of food and carrying it from table to table, offering each delicacy to the table. Rey thought they moved like dancers. When everyone had eaten their fill, a small group of musicians filed in and began to play. Ben stood, offering his hand to Rey, "May I have the honor of dancing with the bride?"'

Rey giggled as she took Ben's hand, feeling so giddy that she could have been drunk. The pair took to the floor, twirling gracefully as others began to join them. Ben saw his mother dancing with Captain Antilles, and Finn had his arms wrapped around a pretty little teal-skinned Twi'lek. He smiled to himself. Everyone seemed to be pairing off; even Poe had a sweet-looking pilot. He wasn't sure, but Ben thought they might be trying to set the floor on fire, they moved with such speed. Leia came over and claimed the next dance with Ben, while Luke claimed the next dance with Rey.

"Surprised that I know how to dance?" Luke chuckled, "Well, I'm just full of surprises. I may be blind, but I'm no cripple."

"Thank you, Master Luke. I don't think I could have asked for a more beautiful wedding, even if I had known what to ask for."

"It was nothing. It's nice to feel such a positive atmosphere. This is sure to go on all night and well into the morning. There has been so much alcohol consumed that I sincerely doubt that anyone would notice if the two of you slipped off somewhere."

Rey grinned. "You're probably right, except for one thing. I'm fully expecting the celebration to go on all _week_!"

Luke laughed with her, "I wouldn't be surprised in the least."

Across the room, Ben watched as Rey laughed at something his Uncle had said, smiling happily to himself. "You know, Mother, I would never have predicted that my life could hold such joy. I still feel like I don't deserve her, but then I doubt I'll ever feel worthy of such an amazing, beautiful woman. Her strength has always astounded me." He glanced down at Leia, "I am so grateful to you for all that you've done for me. For _us_. I will never be able to repay you for gibing m a second chance."

Leia laughed, "Of course you'll be able to repay me," she leaned in close and Ben stooped low so she could whisper in his ear, "Have lots and lots of children." She looked up at her son with wicked amusement glittering in her eyes as she watched the flush spread from his cheeks and down below his collar. "When you and Rey are ready to slip off, Tyrnia will take you and Rey somewhere that you can have privacy for as long as you want it; call it your honeymoon."

Ben leaned in and kissed his mother on the cheek, "Thank you, Mother. This means a very great deal to me."

Just then, Rey came over and took Ben's hand, "Ready to get out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask, my Light. They caught Finn's eye, and Finn tapped Poe on the shoulder. The pair came over, and the group said their quiet good evenings. Tyrnia seemed to melt out of the crowd and the three of them quietly left the hall, where the party would certainly go on for the next week, at least, as Rey had predicted.

They walked on in silence until they had left the compound. Rey looked curiously around her as they entered the forest. _Where do you think she's taking us?_ Ben glanced down at her with an eyebrow raised. _I'm not sure, but I'm enjoying the walk, so I don't much care._ He waggled his eyebrows at her, making her giggle.

"It's just through those trees," Tyrnia said quietly. They passed through a small copse of trees, and Rey stared at what she saw. Standing before them was a lovely wood-and-stone cabin; it was only one bedroom, it seemed, but that was just fine. There was a small garden off to one side of the little house, and it seemed that plenty of animals came through the area. The roof came gracefully to a peak, and the roof was covered in a rich, deep green moss, and a stone chimney rose above the cabin on one side, where a thin trickle of smoke was already rising. The effect was quite becoming; like something out of a fairy tale. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. Be at peace, friends. When you return, we will discuss the business of war. The Resistance has been too long idle. But for now, have no fears and no worries. No one will bother you here." With that, Tyrnia turned and vanished into the trees. For the first time in a long time, they were truly alone. Rey thought it was the best wedding gift she could have ever received.

"What I can't believe, is that you made it all this way in _that_ dress." Ben teased her, earning himself a swat for his efforts. "Well, Mrs. Solo, shall we?" Rey nodded, and Ben stooped to lift her into his arms. "I know it's an archaic tradition, but I'm rather fond of it." He waved his hand and the door opened for them as he carried her into the little house. "Now. What do you think we'll do with our time here..."

Rey laughed and lunged for him, undoing the buttons on his tunic with all the speed she could muster. In a short time, the pair had managed to strip each other of their clothes, which lay around the room, leaving a path the the stone fireplace. In front of the fire, which was crackling cheerfully, there was some kind of thick, soft animal fur; Ben slowly lowered Rey down onto this and glanced around for some kind of blanket. He found just what he was looking for draped over a low couch. Ben laid the blanket over the both of them as he sank down to her. Rey wrapped her hand around his manhood, and found he was already hardening for her. He reached down to circle her nub with his right hand as he stretched down to nibble at her earlobe, making her gasp and shudder. "Please, Ben, now." Ben nodded and slid gently into her warm wetness. She groaned as he began to move in a slow, intoxicating rhythm, and raised her own hips to keep time with his. They pushed each other to a faster and faster pace, until sweat rolled down their foreheads and their breath came in short, ragged pants. Ben felt his climax rising, just as Rey clamped down, tight around him. On a wild cry, Ben climaxed and sank down onto the furs beside her, panting, with one arm slung across Rey's chest. "Best wedding present _ever_ ," he heard her mutter into his ear; he shook with laughter and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Good night, my love," he whispered as they settled down into peaceful sleep.

***Author's Note***

Yaaaay, fluff! Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Sadly, however, we are nearing the end of our story; I should think it will be wrapped up by chapter 30, and then I think I'll write about what Poe and Finn have been doing this whole time. If anybody has anything else they'd like to see me write about, message me with your ideas or leave your ideas in the reviews section. As ever, tell me what you thought in the reviews section, and thank you for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

***Author's Note***

Good evening, dear readers! This chapter is more complete and shameless fluff; plot will return next chapter, but until then, enjoy fluffy plot-less smut! ^_^

Morning dawned clear and bright the next day. When Rey woke, she found that Ben was not beside her. Sitting up, she glanced around for him and found him standing by the open window with his hand clasped behind his back. He was wearing nothing but a pair of cream-colored trousers that billowed lightly around his ankles in the warm, gentle breeze; and a light, opaque robe that hung open and fell to the middle of his calves. She could feel a sense of complete tranquility coming from him. He greeted her with a gentle brush of his thoughts, causing Rey to smile. She stood and padded silently to the bedroom in search of clothes.

In one corner of the room, Rey found a massive cedar chest embellished with a beautiful, hand-carved floral pattern. Opening the chest, she found an envelope labeled with her name sitting on top of a pile of various fabrics. This she opened and a small card fell out. It simply read, "You're welcome – Leia." Rey felt a flush work up her neck as she considered what "You're welcome" implied. A pop of green caught Rey's eye, and she reached into the chest to pull out a beautiful, pale green sheath dress made entirely of layered gossamer. She tested the thickness of the fabric by reaching inside the dress and laid the fabric against her hand. She felt the flush come redouble as she could very clearly her hand through the fabric; it was like looking at her hand through silk curtains. What the hell; it's my honeymoon, she thought and slipped into the dress and brushed out her hair with the grooming supplies that had been laid on a small table beside the chest. She walked over to a mirror that stood floor-to-ceiling on the other side of the room and examined the effect.

To her astonishment, it seemed that an ethereal sprite from children's stories stood staring at her from within the mirror. The stunning creature in the mirror had an air of nonchalance about her that made her instantly attractive. Her mahogany hair curled around her shoulders and flowed down her back. But those were not the most eye-catching details. The pale green sheath of fabric clung to every curve, and the dark circles of her nipples showed daringly through the fabric. Rey felt herself blush again, and saw to her astonishment that it added to the ethereal effect. She decided that she rather liked the effect; she took a deep breath before taking a deep breath to steady herself and opened the bedroom door.

She padded barefoot down the hall and into the main room where Ben stood waiting for her by the glowing fireplace. He turned when he sensed her, and she had the immense satisfaction of seeing his eyes pop wide as he took in her appearance. "You look...wow..." was all he could manage to choke out. Ben watched, transfixed, as Rey padded slowly, sensuously over to him. At last, she was within reach; he grabbed her around the waist and greedily plundered her mouth. She moaned into his mouth as her tongue wrestled with his, and she broke the kiss much too soon for Ben's liking. She took him by the hand and led him back to the pile of furs and blankets where they had made love the night before.

Rey rose over him, her sun-kissed skin shimmering gently in the firelight. This woman was **his** , and Ben never wanted to touch another, ever again. Ben watched as Rey stripped off her dress. Ben reached to follow suit, but Rey stopped him. "Let me," she said flirtatiously. She reached forward and worked the robe off of his shoulders. Rey ran her fingers lightly down his chest, leaving trails of pleasantly tingling goosebumps behind. Rey smiled with sheer mischief as she slid slowly down Ben's chest and legs, lying her face on the inside of his thigh. Ben could already feel his manhood stiffening. Rey took the hem of his trousers in her teeth, and crawled backwards, pulling his trousers off.

"Hmm," Rey teased, "that looks uncomfortable. I should probably do something about that." She lowered her face to Ben's hardening member and slowly licked it, from tip to base, and back. She took his manhood into her mouth, and began to draw her head back and forth, so that at times, his manhood was plunged far down Rey's throat, and at others, she had barely the tip in her mouth.

When Ben felt that he could stand it no longer, Rey released him, and stood. She positioned herself over him, and slowly lowered herself onto his throbbing member. Ben moaned in ecstasy. Rey rocked her hips, forward and back, until Ben lunged upwards, as wrapped his arms around her waist. Ben's hips worked a furious rhythm and he pounded himself into Rey, relishing each wet sound, and the soft, mewling noises that were coming from her throat. At last, he sensed that she was nearing her climax, and Ben knew he could wait no longer.

"Rey, I'm coming!" He plunged himself deep into her tight, wet warmth and felt his seed release into her, even as he felt her tighten around him. Ben rested his cheek against her breasts as he panted for breath. "Well, that was...hmm...I think I like waking up this way." Rey chuckled into the crook of his neck.

"I think I may have a particular fondness for it, myself," she snickered. "However, I don't know about you, but I am absolutely famished. We should find something for breakfast."

Ben chuckled, "I thought you might be, so I took the liberty of setting some traps this morning while you were sleeping."

Rey sprung up, snatching at her dress and throwing it unceremoniously over her head, tugging it quickly into place. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Rey was out the door in a moment, leaving Ben laughing behind her.

He finished scrambling into his own clothes and took off after her. He found her bent over one of his snares, carefully untying the creature she had found there. Whatever it was, it was furry and large enough to feed the both of them at least for three meals. From its long limbs and tail, Ben thought it most likely lived in the trees; it had an inquisitive face, and large eyes. He regretted its death, somewhat; _it was rather...cute_ , he thought. _I'll have to see if I can find one that's alive. I think Rey might like to keep one as a pet. If they're safe to keep, that is._

Rey stood and rushed into the house with her prize, muttering about seasonings all the way. A lightning-fast movement in the trees caught his attention. It was another one of the creatures. It peered curiously down at him, with its head cocked to one side. _I wonder if it would come down_ , Ben thought to himself. To his utter amazement, he felt surprise emanate from the strange creature, followed by happiness and assent. _This thing must be Force-Sensitive!_ Ben held his left arm out for the creature, and it carefully reached out with long, clever fingers to grasp his cybernetic arm with a surprisingly strong grip; its fingers looked very fragile. It made a soft tuk-tuksound as it climbed Ben's arm and settled onto his shoulder. It reminded him of a creature he'd once heard of, a _monkey_ he thought it was called, but this thing had a decidedly feline-esque face. Either way, the thing was adorable. It gazed at him with deep orange eyes, and Ben sensed it was very satisfied with itself, still tuk-tuking. Ben chuckled. "Hmm. You want to stay with us, don't you?" He asked, genuinely curious. He grinned delightedly as it nodded. "You know we're eating one of your fellows, don't you?" The creature nodded again, then twisted its head as if to say "Your point?"

Ben chuckled again. "Well, alright then, but you'll need a name. Hmm. I've got it! We'll call you Tuk-Tuk, as you make that sound so frequently. How do you like that?" The creature chirped softly and bobbed on Ben's shoulder. Ben laughed out loud at the silly creature, "Very well then, Tuk-Tuk. Welcome to the family!" Ben sauntered back into the house, calling, "Rey! Come see what I've found!"

She came around the corner, her face alive with curiosity. "Rey, this is Tuk-Tuk. Tuk-Tuk, this is my...wife...Rey." Tuk-Tuk jumped from Ben's shoulders to Rey's, and nuzzled into her cheek.

Rey giggled, "Well, hello to you, too. I'm cooking; would you like to come help?" She sensed the creature's assent, and glanced at Ben in surprise.

"Yes, I noticed that, too. I think this thing is Force-Sensitive. A rather fitting pet for us, don't you think?"

Rey beamed at him, "I quite agree. He seems to mostly take care of himself, too. And he's definitely intelligent enough to adapt to space travel. I like him! How did you find him?"  
"He sort of found me, actually. I just looked up into the trees, and there he was, watching me. It seemed like he...choseus, if you understand my meaning." Just then, Tuk-Tuk looked up at Ben, his eyes full of haughty self-satisfaction, and Ben heard, very simply, Yes. Ben looked at Rey, his eyes wide, and saw that she had heard it, too. "Well, now. You're just full of surprises, aren't you, little friend?" Tuk-Tuk chittered, and Ben got the feeling they were being laughed at. "Oh, shut up, you," Ben said teasingly.

The scent of cooking meat soon filled the house, and Rey heard Ben's stomach begin to smirked to herself, and plucked what looked like an apple from a bowl on the counter, offering it to Tuk-Tuk, smiling as the little thing snatched it greedily from her hand. For herself and Ben, she opened an ice box to find it fully stocked with enough food to last well over a month, closer to three if they supplemented with hunting. Rey sighed contentedly. She could stay here forever, she thought. She knew they couldn't, though; there was still much that had to be done. She pushed the thought away, hopefully before Ben caught it, and grabbed some cheese, fruit, and bread to go with the meat. She searched the cupboards, and found what she was seeking; Tagorian wine, which had quickly become one of her favorite drinks, and a couple of goblets. It seemed there were dozens of bottles, and she giggled to herself; she didn't think there would be any left by the time they were ready to leave. She reached up to scratch Tuk-Tuk behind the ear absentmindedly, feeling an immense sense of belonging and contentment emanating from him.

Rey carried the food over to where Ben sat on one of the low couches by the fire, setting the platter on a small table in front of the couch. Rey filled the goblets with wine, and sat with her legs draped over Ben's lap, watching him happily as he tore off a chunk of meat. His eyes closed in ecstasy, and he chewed slowly, savoring the meat. He swallowed and said, " Well, it's not cave lizard, but it'll do." He laughed raucously as Rey aimed a swing at him, cuffing him lightly on the side of his head. They ate slowly, neither feeling the need to say much, as Tuk-Tuk happily tore into his meal from his new perch on the back of the couch. "I thought maybe we could spend some time today sparring, if you wanted, my Light."

Rey nodded, "I think that's a good idea. I could probably use some practice." Once they had finished and cleaned up after their meal, they each searched their trunks, looking for clothing appropriate to spar in; finally, Rey found some of her Neutral Order robes buried beneath droves of seductive clothing, and drew them out gratefully. She decided against the robe, however, and donned only the tunic, trousers, and boots. She tied her hair up with a leather thong and clipped her light-saber to her belt. She glanced at Ben, and he nodded that he was ready; together, they strode to the clearing in front of the house and lit their sabers, facing each other while Tuk-Tuk looked on with interest. They charged each other, sabers flashing and sparking as they collided and sprung apart. Again and again they tested each others' defenses, until at last, Ben batted her saber-staff away with his left saber and lunged for her throat with his right. They stopped, panting, and disengaged their sabers. Ben grinned at her, and Rey shook her head. "You're better than I thought," she observed ruefully.

Ben nodded, "I always went easy on you," he admitted, shamefaced. "That's alright, you'll be up to scratch by the time we leave here, my Light." They glanced over at the sound of applause, and saw a small crowd of Tuk-Tuk's kin had gathered, watching with interest. They chattered excitedly amongst themselves, as though they were discussing the match. They probably are,thought Ben with amusement. Tuk-Tuk sprang form the crowd and landed lightly on Ben's shoulder, drawing himself up pridefully, as though showing off for his friends. Ben smirked and turned to head into the house. "I'm heading for the 'fresher," he said to Rey.

"Good; I'll get started on supper, then I'm hopping in the 'fresher while it cooks." She gave him a gentle kiss as she turned to the small kitchen. He was finished in short order, and Rey took her turn, scrubbing herself quickly. Stepping out, she piled her wet hair on top of her head and wrapped herself in a thick, luxurious robe. Striding into the main room of the cabin, she found Ben in nothing but a loose pair of trousers, with a datapad in hand. "You're not working, are you?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

He looked up sheepishly, "You caught me. I was studying how our forces seem to swell with every new shipment of refugees. I'm starting to think that we might actually be able to win this thing."

Rey shook her head in a gentle admonition, "None of that, now. I'm just about to serve supper." With that, she went to the kitchen and filled two bowls with the stew that was simmering on the stove. They ate quickly, each starving from the sparring match. Ben took the dishes and quickly cleaned them.

As he returned, Rey saw the gleam in his eyes seconds before he caught her up and carried her to the bedroom. "I thought we'd actually make use of this room once in a while," he said before he crushed his mouth to hers, groaning at the taste of her. He laid her down gently on the bed and began to struggle out of his trousers; his erection was already straining against them. He heard Rey's breath catch as she tore out of the robe and held out her arms for him. He lowered himself into them and sank deeply into her center, finding her already wet. She gasped in surprise and pleasure and he worked his hips quickly, desperate for release. She rose to match his pace, and they drove each other madly towards their climaxes; faster than he thought possible, he felt himself orgasm, and his vision went white as every nerve tingled with pleasure. He collapsed next to her with his head pillowed on her small, perfect breasts, panting and shaking.

"Well, that was...unexpected. But very, very pleasant," she muttered as she pressed a kiss into his hair. "I love you, Ben Solo."

"And I love you, Rey Solo." Just then, they felt Tuk-Tuk hop lightly onto the bed and curl himself at their feet. "Sure, little imp, go ahead and join us. No problem," Ben mumbled sarcastically, "Ah, well, I'm going to be asleep in a moment, anyway. Good night, Rey," in peaceful silence, they drifted into sleep.

***Author's Note***

Everybody say "awwwwwww". Again. Lol. I am absolutely in love with these two! This has probably been the easiest story for me to write that I've ever attempted, and I am so humbled that you all seem to enjoy it so much. As previously stated, plot will return next chapter. Thank you for reading, as ever, and please don't hesitate to comment! 3


	25. Chapter 25

***Author's Note***

Good morning, my friends! As promised, we return now to plot. Little bit of a zinger at the end of this one; also, it's a wee bit short. Hope you enjoy it!

The next two weeks followed much the same routine, flowing by sedately in a pleasant fog of healing peace and serenity. They both felt the stresses and hurts of the last year fading away, leaving behind only healing and renewed strength. Rey and Ben knew the peace would not last forever. Much too soon, one quiet morning, the vision came.

 _ _They came like a tide. The First Order swarmed over the surface of Naboo, slaughtering anyone they found in their path. Gungans and humans alike fell before the onslaught of the First Order. The flood of Stormtroopers cared little for those that fell before them; children, women, elderly. It didn't matter to them, so long as their victory was assured. Many took up arms and tried, in vain, to defend their homes, their families, and their lives, but they fell anyway. The First Order surged through every major city on the surface of Naboo and raised every one to the ground. In the midst of one such city stood Captain Phasma, her armor glinting in the fires of Naboo's defeat.__

 _ _She took out a comlink and spoke into it, "Master Ren; Naboo is defeated. All that remains now is the so-called 'secret' Gungan city and a few insignificant villages. Should we destroy those, as well?"__

 _ _"No," came the weak response, "No, leave them. Let them spread their terror through the galaxy. I need you back here. Return your forces to the__ _Interceptor_ _ _. There is work we have yet to do. So many planets, and there is so little time left. I need your...skills," finished Padme weakly.__

 _ _"Of course, my Master. I will hasten to you, and tend to your needs." Phasma shook her head and shut off the comlink. She pressed the inter-helmet comlink, "That's enough. All units, pull out. We're returning to the__ _Interceptor_ _ _."__

Ben and Rey bolted upright in bed. "Looks like the honeymoon's over," she said sadly. Ben wordlessly leaned in and laid his forehead on hers, stroking the scar on her back as Rey stroked the scar on his face. They laid like that in complete silence until they sensed someone approaching. Rey sighed, "Figured they'd come get us."

The pair rolled out of bed and quickly dressed in their robes. They opened the door of the cabin just as Finn came to skidding halt; his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You two are uncanny sometimes. Somehow, I forgot that in the last couple weeks. Oh well; your mother sent me; we need you back."

"We already know, Finn," said Rey, "We had a vision about Naboo." Finn's eyes grew wide. "Captain Phasma led the attack herself."

Finn nodded, "That's what the reports are that we're getting. I'll walk back with you."

Ben reached out his right arm, "Come on, Tuk-Tuk! We're leaving." Tuk-Tuk ran from the bedroom and launched himself onto Ben's outstretched arm. Ben reached around and closed the cabin door, and reached for Rey's hand. The pair stood, looking wistfully at the little house for a moment, lost in the memories of the last two weeks. At last, with a sad sigh, they turned and walked with Finn towards the compound.

"So, what exactly is that thing?" Finn asked, staring curiously at Tuk-Tuk.

"Who, this guy?" Ben jammed his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the animal, "This is Tuk-Tuk; he decided he wanted to travel with us. He's adopted us, you might say. Clever creature; cute, too. He's pretty useful, actually. His species is Force-Sensitive, so we'll see what that means for us over time. But for now, we will simply say that he is our friend and companion."

Finn nodded, "So, you're saying he's your pet." At this, Tuk-Tuk reached over and whacked Finn on the back of the head.

Rey giggled, "No, I wouldn't put it that way. Besides; he doesn't think of himself that way. Friend and companion fits better."

The group fell into silence as they walked, each consumed with their own thoughts. Ben reached for Rey's hand, and Rey reached for Ben's mind. They sank into each others' consciousnesses until they did not know where one began and the other ended. In this way, they comforted each other and traded strategic ideas until, at last, they broke through the tress. Ben and Rey withdrew from each others' minds and focused instead on the world around them, though they would have much preferred to remain in their own.

Finn led them through the corridors to the great chamber where their wedding had been held, though now it was being used for a far different purpose. Rows of chair lined the room, and a stage had been set up at the very front of the chamber. Ben and Rey took their place standing beside Luke in the very back of the room. Welcome back, nephew. _I trust your honeymoon was...eventful?_ Ben flushed and smirked. _Yes, Uncle._ _So eventful that we brought someone back with us._ Luke's head turned sharply in Ben's direction, shock and concern emanating from him. Ben's shoulders shook as he silently chuckled. Tuk-Tuk had curled up inside the hood of Ben's robes to nap, but now he stuck his feline head out and gazed at Luke with interest. _I Tuk-Tuk. You Luke. Good meeting._ With that, the little creature tucked his head back into Ben's hood and went back to sleep. Ben's shoulders shook even harder, and he sensed enormous amusement coming from Rey, as well. Luke, however, was doing his best impression of a landed fish. His mouth worked silently, though no sound came out. At last the thought came to Ben, __Ah. Well. Interesting...friend you've got there.__

Just then, Leia strode authoritatively onto the stage, trailed closely by Captain Antilles; the two seemed nearly inseparable lately. "Good afternoon. I know that many of you are wondering why I have gathered you all here today. Unfortunately, it is not good news. Naboo has been attacked." Whispers of astonishment and gasps of horror echoed through the crowd. Leia held up her hands for silence. "All we know is that the damage is devastating. We have no further information at this point."

Ben and Rey stepped forward, and Ben raised his voice so the whole hall could hear him; "Begging your pardon, Mother, but we do. Rey and I saw everything in a vision this morning." Leia beckoned them forward; they mounted the stage, still hand-in-hand. The General gestured for them to continue. "As I said; we saw everything. The First Order was ruthless and cruelly efficient in their attack. They were unprepared, and undefended. It was a massacre. Not a single soul was safe; not even the children. Every major city was raised utterly to the ground. Every major politician, high-ranking member of society, or ruler of any kind was systematically rooted out and murdered. All that is left is a few small villages and the underwater Gungan city. There's more. The attack was personally led by Captain Phasma. She seems to have become Master Ren's right hand. Ren seemed to be very weak. She said that she needs Phasma's 'skills', and that she needs tending. If I am right, then Ren may well still be recovering from the destruction of our Force-Bond. If this is the case, then we could make it work to our advantage. Unlike me, she had no other Force-Bond to focus on; her reaction would have been far more severe. The shock would have nearly killed her, and she would have to fight her own way out. I had Rey to pull me out; Pad..Ren has no one. This, I believe, is her greatest weakness, though she believes it to be her greatest strength. She loves no one, and no one loves her. The truth, however, is that this has weakened her immeasurably. At this time, that is all the information I have; Mother?" Ben and Rey stepped aside, and Rey leaned her head on Ben's shoulder, smiling and reveling in his presence. The calm may have been shattered, but they still had each other, and in small moments like this, it was more than enough.

"Thank you, Master Solo. Now; Naboo needs our help. I am going to send relief forces and supplies. The Tagorians have already agreed to back the operation with all the resources they have." This announcement was met with even more mutters, "However, they have an announcement of their own to make. Yara?"

An ancient Tagorian stepped forward, helped by two attendants on each side, helping him to stand. He was massive; it took all four attendants just to keep him upright. His pitch-black fur had begun to go silver in spots, and his piercing blue eyes had faded somewhat; Ben wondered if his eyesight was going. Yara walked slowly forward, as though every step hurt him greatly. Ben took pity on the old creature and extended a tendril of energy to him, deadening the pain somewhat, and granting him a bit more energy. Yara's head came slowly up, and he turned to look directly into Ben's eyes. A knowing glint came into his eyes, and one of the muscles over his right eye raised, giving the impression that he was raising an eyebrow at Ben. The Tagorian gave Ben a slight nod, and turned back to the crowd, straightening proudly to his full, impressive height, and pushing aside his attendants, giving the impression of great strength and energy, even at his advanced age. "Good afternoon. Tagoria has proudly supported the Resistance; glad are we to help. However, into war we will not follow you. To stay here and support you is our intention. Should it come to a final battle, consideration may be made for the changing of our intentions. At this time, however, no soldiers will we add to your ranks. Welcome, as always, are you to remain and be safe here. Support we will provide; information, direction, supplies. These we offer you still, but war? This we cannot aid you with. Weapons, yes. Armor, yes. But increased numbers? No. We cannot afford to enter a war that we might not win. We are strong, but not as many as you are. I have made this decision for the good of my people. I hope that you will understand. May the Force be with you."

Yara allowed his attendants to help him again, and looked at Ben again, as though asking for understanding. Ben smiled slightly and nodded once. Yara dipped his head and slumped off the stage. After Yara's speech, the meeting ended fairly quickly, and Ben and Rey headed towards their quarters. As they left the hall, Poe and Finn caught up to them. "So." Said Poe. "How was the honeymoon? Did you have good sex?"

Rey looked haughtily in Poe's direction. "Of course we had good sex. I am incapable of any other kind of sex." Poe doubled up, roaring with laughter while Finn's cheeks darkened, and Ben's eyes twinkled with humor. Ben paused at the door of their quarters and cocked his head.

"There's someone in there. He wants to talk to you, Rey." The doors slid open, and they saw an opaque figure standing silently by the bed. He turned, and Rey let out a quiet gasp.

"Grandfather?"

Obi-Wan smiled, "It's good to finally meet you, Rey. I have been keeping an eye on you for a very long time. I was hoping that I could have a talk with you. I know you have no knowledge of your own past; I thought you might like to learn about yourself."

Rey walked slowly forward, as though she were in a dream. "Of course, Grandfather. I would be honored."

Obi-Wan smiled, and gestured to the bed. "Well, sit down, then, child. It is a long tale."

***Author's Note***

I know, super short, but more will be put up tonight, I promise! Hope you enjoyed it! As ever, thanks for reading and go ahead and leave a review, if you wish.


	26. Chapter 26

Obi-Wan stood, gazin _g_ fondly down at his granddaughter. "I suppose I should start at the beginning; your story really began during the Clone Wars. Your husband's grandfather was my best friend, my brother, and my Padawan. His betrayal was personally devastating to me. What I had not known at the time was that, in secret, he had married Padme Amidalla, and she was pregnant with twins. Padme was an extraordinary woman. She saw the darkness in Anakin, and fought it as long as she could; but it had too strong a hold on him. On the day that Anakin came to confront me, they quarreled. He lost control of his temper and lashed out at her using the Force.

"By the time I had defeated him and found her, she had little strength left. I carried her back to her ship, and we left. I managed to get her to a medicalship, but by the time we arrived, she was too far gone. They were forced to induce labor in order to save the twins. Padme lived just long enough to name them. The loss of Anakin and Padme was difficult to take, but I knew I had a duty to the children. Leia, I took to the Organas on Dantooine. I knew that Queen Breha could not have children, and that they would care for her and keep her safe.

"Luke, I took to Tattooine; Anakin's only other living relative, his half-brother, who lived there as a moisture farmer with his wife. They also had not been blessed with children. I believed this would be the best place for him. I stayed nearby, to keep an eye on Luke, and to be sure he was safe." Obi-Wan sighed, his eyes distant.

"I was nearing forty when I met Rey. Yes, you were named after your grandmother. I thought she was the most beautiful creature in the galaxy. I had been on Tattooine for nearly three years, and I had grown lonely. She worked in a cantina that I frequented when I craved interaction or if I wanted news of Anakin. It was a dark night, and I had walked many long miles to reach town that day. I had not been in the mood to use my speeder; I felt a walk would clear my head. I walked into the cantina, ordered a drink, and there she was. Rey had taken over for the old bartender; apparently he'd broken up one too many drunken brawls and gotten a knife in the back for his trouble.

"At first, I avoided her, and spent more and more time in meditation. Eventually, however, this proved useless. I found myself watching her through the Force while I was meditating. There was this incredible sense of...gravity when I was near her; like I couldn't leave, even if I'd desired it. One evening, after Rey had finished her shift, she came and sat with me. 'I see you watching me,' She said. I flushed; isn't it odd how I can remember that so clearly? I flushed. She smiled, 'Why do you watch me? Why don't you just come over and say hello?' She cocked her head at me; she used to do that when she was curious, or waiting for me to answer her. I apologized to her for being rude, and told her that it was forbidden.

"She laughed at me. I had never heard such a beautiful sound. It was like I'd been deaf before she laughed at me; like someone had sucked the oxygen out of the room. I knew then that I was finished. She asked me why it was forbidden, and I looked away; 'You sound like one of those Jedi,' she had teased. In answer, I had simply gazed into her eyes, until hers grew wide. 'Show me,' was all that she said. I told her where she could find me, and on her next day off, she came to my home. I was astonished to see her. She looked...out of place, somehow in the desert. I let her watch me use the Force; simple things, like lifting stones or pushing something over; something I had not done since I had arrived on Tattooine. I had been so afraid of discovery that letting her see who I really was gave me such a rush that it felt like a drug.

"Rey was amazed at my abilities, and came to see me more often; eventually, I could no longer bear to see her walk away from me again. That night, I called the spirit of my former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, and confessed everything to him. Rather than growing angry, as I had expected, he smiled at me; he had been watching everything, it seemed. He told me that if this was truly what I wanted, then to do it. There was no Jedi Council to argue with, and Master Yoda was far across the galaxy. There was no one to disapprove. The next day, when she came to see me, I asked her to be my wife; she accepted. I had never felt such joy. My former Master married us that evening. It was a beautiful ceremony; much like yours was, Rey. My wife had had the presence of mind to bring her belongings with her. She had quit the cantina and left, telling no one where she was going, and no one asked; eventually, everyone simply assumed that she had died.

"About ten months after the wedding, the baby came; a boy. We named him Qui-Gon, in honor of my Master. He brought such light and joy into our lives that I knew I had made the right choice. Whenever someone came to see us, I erased the memory of my family's presence from their minds. It made Rey a bit sad, I think, having to hide the way we did, but she understood why it was necessary. If anyone had discovered the existence of a Jedi and his descendant, Darth Vader, as Anakin was known then, would have swarmed the planet like a plague. One peaceful afternoon as we watched our son play, my former Master came to me. He told me that the child which would come from my son would have a great destiny; that child would redeem the most powerful Dark Jedi the galaxy had seen since Darth Vader. He also said that the child must be kept secret; if it was discovered, the child would be sought by that Dark Jedi, and killed. When my son was old enough, I told him of the prophecy. I remember him nodding sagely and agreeing without a second thought.

"Rey and I had been happily married for 12 years when tragedy struck. Our home was attacked by Tuscan Raiders. Anakin had slaughtered an entire village of theirs, including the women and children, so they hated and feared the Jedi. Therefore, when I engaged my light-saber and attacked, they grew furious and redoubled their attack. At long last, I killed the last of the Raiders, but at a great cost to myself. I still remember looking around for Rey, and having this horrible feeling in my chest; I knew before I found her that she was gone. The raiders had cut her nearly in two; my world crumpled. If it had not been for my son, I would not have been any use to anyone.

"Later that year, Qui-Gon began to show Force Potential, so I began to train him. Over the next five years, we spent every day perfecting his abilities until he was a Master in his own right. You remind me of your father, Rey; he learned as quickly as you. At the end of his training, I began to have the sense that my time was nearing; I told Qui-Gon that I would have to leave him soon. Even at 17, he showed great wisdom. He told me that he understood, and that I should go with Luke. I was astonished at how quickly he had understood. Just a few weeks later, the events began which now the entire galaxy knows. I left Tattooine with Luke on board the _Falcon_ , and together, we rescued Luke's sister. I was not to survive the adventure, however; I allowed myself to be killed by Vader, and joined with the Force. The remainder of your story, I was forced to watch from a distance.

"Eventually, Qui-Gon met a woman; her name was Shandra. She was the picture of loveliness. I watched as they fell in love and were married. Within 3 years, you were born; it had been a difficult birth, and sadly, Shandra did not survive. Your father raised you alone for 7 years until his identity was discovered. Padme had discovered the prophecy, and knew that it concerned her brother, so she contrived to end you and your father. She sent her best Knights, and they nearly succeeded, but your father slew the last of them and the two of you ran together. Qui-Gon took you with him on a transport ship to Jakku, where he thought you would be safe until your destiny found you. Before he left, he wiped himself from your memory." Obi-Wan paused and gazed thoughtfully at Rey. "That is your story, my child. It's not a happy beginning, I'm afraid, but look at what you've made of it!"

Rey smiled and squeezed Ben's hand, "Thank you, Grandfather. I'm glad that you told me. I only wish that I could get my memories back."

Obi-Wan smiled cheekily, "Actually, I _can_ give those back to you, if you'd like."

Rey sprung up off of the bed, exclaiming, "Of course I want my memories, Grandfather!"

Obi-Wan chuckled as he rose and placed his hands on either side of Rey's head. Memories Began to flood into her mind like the breaking of a dam. _She sat on her father's shoulders, watching the double sunset of Tattooine, Rey watched as he lifted small stones with the Force for her amusement, her father stood beside her at the stove, teaching her to cook, she watched through a crack in the door as the men in black attacked her father, and he slayed every last one._

"What happened to him?"  
Obi-Wan hung his head sadly, "Unfortunately, Qui-Gon was hunted down by Padme at last, and this time, he could not defeat the numbers she sent at him."

Rey nodded, "I knew, somehow."

Obi-Wan smiled at her, "Goodbye, my child. May the Force be with you." He faded away as Ben wrapped his arms around Rey's waist.


	27. Chapter 27

***Author's Note***

Good evening, dear readers! I have a few more surprises in store for you, my friends! I hope you like them. ^_^

Rey leaned her head back on Ben's shoulder, reveling in his presence and her newly-recovered memories. She closed her eyes, "I can see him, Ben. I can see my father as though he were standing in front of me right now. I remember everything!" Rey turned in Ben's arms to face him. "We have to go there. I feel like it's important. I think he left something there for me."

Ben smiled, "Of course, little desert rat. Hmm...I suppose that is more accurate than we thought, isn't it?" His eyes crinkled as he laughed.

"I have the strangest feeling that we need to go there, either way. I think Padme will strike there next. It's like she's looking for something. Hmph. Us, probably."

Finn cleared his throat and Poe chuckled, "I think they forgot we were here, Finn."

"Yeah, I think you're right. What the hell, guys?"

Rey and Ben turned to their friends, laughing. "Sorry, guys," giggled Rey, "I guess we got lost in the moment."

Finn and Poe chuckled as they strolled leisurely over to their friends.

"Must be nice to actually have a childhood, huh? Turns out you're not some nothing scavenger, after all! Your father was a Neutral Jedi, just like you! Luke told me that people like you have often been referred to as Gray Jedi, but they've never created their own Order before. He said you two are changing everything."

Rey beamed at Finn, "It is nice to know that I seem to be walking the same path as my father. Will the two of you come with us to Tattooine?"

Poe rolled his eyes, "You really have to ask? I'll bring BB-8. If your father really did leave something there for you, he'll keep it safe if Ben's right about Padme." Rey threw her arms around Poe's neck and kissed him soundly on the cheek.

Ben raised an eyebrow and took his wife by the had, "Easy there, Rancor. She's a married woman. Don't make me cut off your other hand."

Poe stared at Ben in mock-fear before bursting into laughter. He threw his arm around Ben's shoulders as the four walked together from Ben and Rey's room. As they walked, Ben grew more and more certain that Padme would strike next on Tattooine. An uneasiness was growing in his heart, and he knew that Rey felt it, also. A certainty and fear was growing in Ben's heart that he knew exactly what Padme was looking for. An object of immense power that the Jedi had come to fear. Ben caught Rey's eye and they exchanged a grim nod; she knew it, too.

Ben and Rey looked forward as they came to the briefing room. Something was wrong; Ben and Rey sensed an aura of great disturbance withing. "Something's happened," whispered Ben and Rey simultaneously; Finn and Poe exchanged worried glances as the doors opened. Every eye snapped up to stare at them as they entered. Leia was leaning heavily on the table they were all sitting around.

"Mother, what's happened?" Ben asked as he rushed to her side.

"You mean the great Kylo Ren _doesn't know?"_ The entire room went terribly still. Ben turned slowly to stare at the offender. It was the female Twi'lek that Finn had been dancing with at his wedding.

"That is no longer my name," Ben said very quietly. "Nor has it been for more than a year."

"So, we're supposed to believe that just because you fell in with this _..._ _whore_..." at this, the room gasped, Rey paled, and Ben's eyes narrowed menacingly, "that you've suddenly changed?"

Ben began to slowly pace around the table with his hand clasped behind his back, knuckles white. "And what evidence have you to the contrary?" He continued in the same low, dangerous voice.

She scoffed, "Really? She's your twin sister! And you expect us to believe you _didn't know!?_ _"_

"Know what? We were occupied."

"Oh, yes. I'm sure you and your personal prostitute were very busy!"

By now, Ben had reached the Twi'lek. Raising his hand, he slapped her, hard, across the face. He spoke again, his voice nearly a whisper, "Say whatever you wish about me, but do not ever insult my wife again." Every face in the room had paled; Ben's fury was a palpable thing. "Now, you will calmly explain what it is that my sister has done now _without_ insulting my wife."

"She is slaughtering Tei'leks. Rounding them up like she's looking for someone. And you're going to tell me you didn't know? Everyone here knows about the Force Bond you have with your precious twin."

The room had gone so silent that you could hear every hear hammering in its respective chest. Ben raised an eyebrow, and spoke so softly that every ear in the room strained to catch his answer, "My sister poisoned me through our Bond. She thought I was better off dead than returned to the Light. We knew she would try again, so my Bond with Padme was _severed_." Ben's voice broke on the last word. Rey rushed to his side and placed a hand on his back.

" _LIAR_ ," the Twi'lek screamed.

"And what about my word?" Came Luke's calm voice, "I severed it myself, and it nearly killed him. Would you call me a liar, also?"

The girl flushed, then paled, "Of course not, Master."

"And as for what they were occupied with, I believe Rey was having a conversation with my former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, her Grandfather." Every head snapped around to stare in astonishment at Rey, who nodded in affirmation.

The Twi'lek looked confused, "But, how are you alive? Destroying a Force Bond of that magnitude is usually fatal."

Ben considered the girl for a moment, "You're one of my Uncle's students, correct?" The girl nodded, "Then seek out the Bond between Rey and myself." The Twi'lek closed her eyes and reached for them.

Her eyes snapped open in shock, "But, that's! I can _feel_ the empty space where your Bond with your sister once was! You were telling the truth. And your Bond with Rey...It's at least as strong as the one you severed. Forgive me, Masters Solo. I have wronged you both." The Twi'lek sand to one knee with tears in her eyes.

Ben smiled at her and held out his cybernetic hand for her to inspect. Her eyes grew wide; Ben lifted his trousers to reveal his cybernetic right leg, and the entire room gasped. Rey turned and loosened her tunic so that she could show the scar on her back. The Twi'lek looked like she had stopped breathing.

Ben took her by the elbows as Rey fixed her tunic and helped her stand. "Never forget, little one, we have all sacrificed for each other.

Leia finally broke her silence, "My son may well sacrifice more than any other single person in this room by the time this is over. One way or the other, he will most likely lose his twin, again, in the end." The Twi'lek nodded.

"What's your name?" Rey asked.

"Twila," She answered.

"Twila. That's a lovely name. Always remember, Twila, things are rarely as they seem."

Twila nodded, "Please forgive me, Masters."

Ben smiled again and laid a hand on her shoulder, "It is already done." Twila bowed her head in gratitude. "Now that the unpleasantness is dealt with...Mother, I believe that Twila may be right. Padme is looking for someone. Or more accurately, something."

"No," whispered Luke as he sensed what Ben was thinking.

"Sadly, yes, Uncle. Rey and I believe she is seeking the Darksaber." A mixture of horror and confusion swam through the room. "I will explain as quickly as I can. The Darksaber was once a relic of the Jedi Order, when it was in the height of its power. The Darksaber is an ancient weapon of unsurpassed power. It was stolen from the Jedi Order by the Mandalorians. Since then, it has taken the lives of many Jedi. It seems that being Force-Sensitive is not a prerequisite to use it, unlike normal light-sabers. It was handed down from one Mandalorian to the next until it was won by Darth Maul. When he was finally defeated during the Clone Wars, the Darksaber was lost once again. Now, the mass-murder of Twi'leks fits perfectly into this theory. It was rumored, among thousands of other rumors, that a lone Twi'lek was seen stealing away from the battlefield, clutching the Darksaber."

Luke passed a hand shakily over his face. "Ben, are you sure? The Darksaber is a great and terrible weapon. It may well have been destined to be lost. If Padme is seeking it, I fear to think what might happen if she acquires it. We cannot allow this to happen. Any idea where she might possibly search next?"  
Ben nodded, "Tattooine. I have the sense that she will attack Tatooine. We think there was something left there for Rey by her father; she and I had decided to o go there in the hopes of finding it first."

Leia nodded, "Very well. I will send a contingent of troops with you, just in case you're right. We must get to it first. I suppose Finn and Poe are going with you, also? Well, I suppose you will be in need of a pilot. Well, then, it's settled. You will leave in three days' time for Tattooine. May the Force be with you."

***Author's Note***

I know I've put up super short chapters lately, and I'm sorry; I'll most likely put up a lengthy one again tomorrow. Until then, my dear readers, I hope you've enjoyed tonight's installment!


	28. Chapter 28

***Author's Note***

Hello again, my dear readers! Okay, so, grab the tissues for this chapter. Absolutely one of the most emotional chapters I've written thus far. That's all I'll say. Read on, dear ones, and enjoy!

Three days later, a respectable force of 800 volunteers was outfitted and loading onto the transport ships. The assembled crowd began to part as Ben, Tuk-Tuk, Rey, Poe, BB-8, and Finn started towards the transport ships, packs slung over their shoulders. Many bowed respectfully when Ben and Rey passed by. Ben was struck by the difference in treatment between now and when he had first arrived. Before, people openly feared and hated him. Now, there was respect and no little awe in the faces he passed. Many, he recognized; he had fought beside nearly every soul there assembled at one time or another, and many more than once. Ben realized how he had truly built a life here; he had Rey, his mother, his Uncle, and he had friends. Ben knew he was lucky; most people didn't get a second chance. He was determined not to waste it. Following Ben's train of thought, Rey took his hand and leaned her head onto his shoulder. _I love you, Ben Solo. If you are lucky, then so am I._ Ben smiled in response and squeezed her hand gently.

As they reached their transport ship, Captain Morris stepped down onto the loading ramp. Ben smiled and shook his head, "Can't I ever get rid of you?" Ben and Morris laughed as they shook hands.

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me again, sir. You're certain Padme will strike at Tattooine?"

Ben nodded, "I grow more certain with every passing moment. Rey and I will take a short trip to her childhood home; she feels her father may have left something for her."

"I'll never get used to you Jedi-types. You always know too much. Speaking of which, your Uncle is already on board; he's waiting for you." The Captain chuckled and pointed into the ship.

Ben nodded, "Thank you, Captain. I'll go and see him, then." Ben and Rey entered the transport ship and walked to the back of the bay where Luke stood, waiting for them. As they approached, he turned.

"So; we both return to our beginnings. I haven't seen Tattooine since I left on the Falcon all those years ago. This should be interesting. Granted, I won't see it now, but you know what I mean." Luke chuckled, "I'll stay with the men in Mos Iseley; you two take a speeder and get back as soon as possible. If Padme arrives before you return, we can hold her off while you finish up."

Rey nodded in agreement, "I like that plan. Poe and Finn will be accompanying us. The four of us will return as quickly as possible."

Just then, Poe's voice crackled over the intercom system, "All right, you party people; we're about ready to get out of here. Now, we'll only be in hyperspace for a couple of hours, so don't go taking a nap on me. Everybody strapped in? Alright, then; let's go!" The engines rumbled to lift, and the loading ramp slowly shut.

Rey trembled slightly; she was ready. Ben wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Remember the first time we flew together? It didn't go very well," he chuckled.

Rey rolled her eyes, "That's putting in mildly; we were hit by a lucky Tie-Fighter shot just as we entered hyperspace. If not for that shot, we would never have crashed on Ord Biniir. We might have never fallen in love." Tuk-Tuk made a little chirruping sound from Ben's hood, and she smiled.

Ben chuckled, "No, I'm fairly certain I would have loved you anyway, woman." The pair lapsed into silence for the next couple of hours until they felt the ship fall out of hyperspace and enter the atmosphere of Tattooine. "Welcome home," Ben whispered in her ear.

BB-8 came rolling out of the cockpit towards Rey and Ben, beeping and whirring excitedly. "I know, BB-8, I'm excited, too. I haven't been here since I was a little girl. I'm looking forward to it." BB-8 whirred softly in response. Just then, they felt the transport ship touch down. Rey and Ben turned together and began to head for the loading ramp, hearing whispers of "Good luck" and "May the Force be with you" as they passed; some even reached out and squeezed her arm gently.

Poe and Finn joined them in short order, and Luke shouted from the top of the ramp, "Go! We'll look after things here. Only, hurry!" Luke hurried off to explain to the citizens of Mos Iseley what was happening. Ben and Rey managed to find a gentleman who was willing to let them borrow a five-seat speeder for their trip into the wastelands; Ben gave over the pilot's seat to Rey, as she seemed to know where they were heading while Finn, Poe, and BB-8 squeezed into the back.

They had been traveling in silence for about an hour, when suddenly Rey let out a soft gasp and wrenched the controls to the left, down an ill-used path. Another 15 minutes or so passed; in the distance, a small structure began to form on the edge of their side. Rey pulled the speeder over and jumped to the ground. Ben stood next to her and quietly asked, "Are you sure this is it? It looks like someone might live here."

Rey nodded, "I remember this house. Look; my toys are still laying about. And look at the door, Ben; there are scorch marks on it from a light-saber. I remember the day they were put there. This is it." Rey walked slowly to the door, reached under a pot to the right of the door, and came out with a key.

Ben leaned down to whisper in Poe's ear, "All right, now I'm convinced." Tuk-Tuk decided to put in, Rey; home now, as Ben lengthened his stride so that he and Tuk-Tuk entered the house just after Rey. She looked pale, he thought, but that was to be expected. He took her hand and let her lead him around the small common room. Suddenly, she froze, staring at a table on the other side of the room that was covered in dust. She walked over to the table, as though in a dream; there was something lying there.

"Look," she whispered.

"What is it, my Light?" Ben asked.

"It looks like a holocron data stick," she said as she reached out and took it.

Ben glanced quickly around, "There's a holocron over there. Come on, lets see what you've found."

Rey's hand shook as she inserted the data stick into the holocron; it buzzed and whirred to life. An opaque form blinked into life, and Rey's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. Staring down at them was her father, Qui-Gon Kenobi. He was tall and very handsome. Rey looked rather like him, Ben thought. They had the same proud posture, the same twinkle in their eyes. Rey even had his hair.

Qui-Gon Kenobi took a deep, steadying breath before he began to speak, "My darling daughter; if you are seeing this, then it means that I am dead, and I never returned for you on Jakku. For this, I am so sorry. I had never intended to leave you there; I had wanted to keep you with me, but it was no longer safe. Master Ren, the true leader of the First Order, found out who we are and sent his Knights after me. You are watching this, so I will therefore assume that they have finally caught up to me." Tears sprang to his eyes, and he looked down for a moment, as he wiped them away. "Leaving you an Jakku with no memory of who you were was the only way to keep you safe. However, I will also make the assumption that, as you have sought out your childhood home, you have figured out or been told who you are.

"Either way, someone must have unlocked your memories, or you would never have found this place. Personally, I'd wager that it was my father that helped you in this as much as he could. It would be very like him. I digress; I so wish I could have seen you grow up. How lonely a life you must have lived." Qui-Gon closed his eyes, and Rey knew he was looking into her future. "Yes, I can see you now, standing in this very room, watching this message. There is a tall, dark man beside you; of this, I am glad. I have seen this man before," he opened his eyes and looked straight into Rey's. "I had a vision of you yesterday as I meditated. You were all dressed in white, walking down an aisle draped with flowers and carpeted by a long, silver rug. There was a tall, dark man waiting for you; I could see by the look in his eyes that he adored you. How I wish I could have been there for you to give you away on your wedding day. I am so sorry, Rey. I tried to protect you; that is all that I have ever wanted, since the day you were born. I'm just glad you're not alone anymore.

"You've grown so beautiful, my child. You look just like my mother; you even wear your hair the way she did. It's a shame you never got to know your mother; you'd have liked her. She was Force-Sensitive, like you and me. She had learned much control instinctively, but I helped her to refine it. Oh, you remind me so much of her. You may look like my side, but you act just like her; at least, you did when you were a child. You were always stubborn and absolutely sure of yourself. You always knew exactly what the right thing was, and hastened to do it. You were always bringing home stray, injured animals and nursing them back to health. I can't begin to tell you how many cages I had to make.

"I will never forget how happy we were here. It was just the two of us, with the occasional visit from my father's spirit, but we never longed for company. You must know, my darling girl, that I have never stopped thinking about you, or wondering if you were safe. Not once after all this time. It's been five years for me; I'm sure it's been much longer for you. My father told me he'd keep an eye on you, and I'm certain that he did, but it _should_ have been me. My father has most likely already told you my reasons, but I feel that you should hear it from your own father, as well.

"There was a prophecy made about you when I was still just a lad, myself. It foretold that you would redeem one of the greatest Dark Jedi that the galaxy has seen since Darth Vader. When my father told me just before he left with Luke Skywalker, I swore I would protect you, no matter what it cost; you weren't even conceived yet, and already I loved you. Master Ren heard about the prophecy; he grew obsessed with killing you before you could fulfill your destiny. When he sent the Knights to drag us from our home, I knew the time had come to run, and to make good on the oath I had taken, no matter what it might cost me, personally. The day I left you on Jakku and wiped your memories of our life together was the hardest day of my life; simply living every day without you is the hardest thing I have ever done." Qui-Gon's voice shook, and he paused to regain his composure.

"Now; there have been many rumors lately about Ren; they say he's had a vision of his own impending doom, perhaps at your hand, but I think it will be this Dark Jedi you're going to save. I don't know why, but it _feels_ like the truth. Whatever the cause, he has been looking for something; an object of immense and ancient power. He seeks the Darksaber. He will never find it, however; I have tracked it for a long time, from the moment it vanished during the Clone Wars to now. I have found that there is a very old Twi'lek living deep in the woods on Kashyyk. He is the very same Twi'lek that stole the Darksaber from Darth Maul's corpse during the Clone Wars. I do not know his name; I doubt if he even knows his own name any more. He took the Darksaber with him, and has been hiding there ever since.

"You must go to him, and convince him to part with the Darksaber before Ren finds him. If he gets a hold of that weapon, it may well mean the end of everything we know. However, there is one thing you should know. The Darksaber is not like a regular light-saber. It _chooses_ its bearer, and if at any time it senses hesitation from its bearer, it will not perform properly. If ever you find yourself facing the wielder of the Darksaber, try to make them hesitate, and that goes for your husband, too," here, he glanced at Ben, "If they hesitate, the Darksaber will begin to resist, and that will give you the opening you need to _end_ it.

"Oh, my daughter, how I wish I had been able to finish this, rather than putting this terrible burden onto your shoulders. You are far too young to have so many worries. I would take them from you, if it were within my power to do so. I wish I were there with you now, rather than speaking to you from a hologram, long dead, myself. It's an odd thing, knowing you're going to die, but still trying to stay alive. Well, I know that every step I am able to take will lead them further away from you. I have never once stopped loving you, my darling girl. I miss you every moment of every day; it is a constant ache in my chest. I hope someday that you will be able to forgive me; perhaps some day I'll be able to meet you, even if it is postmortem. I would sit and talk to you about what you did on Jakku, and how you managed to survive. I would ask about your husband; who he is, how you met, when you knew you loved him. I would ask how he lost his arm, and where that scar on his face came from. I would ask about the animal perched on his shoulder, and if you plan to have children.

"It pains me more deeply than I have the words to express, knowing that I will never know my grandchildren. It's so unfair to you that you had to grow up without me. I wanted to be there; I hope you know that. I know I'm repeating myself, but there are some things, my sweet girl, that bear repeating. I fear my time is beginning to draw to a close; I fear they have found me at last. Therefore, I will say never be afraid, Rey; I will be with you, always. Remember, my dear; the Darksaber is on Kashyyk. But more importantly, I love you, my beautiful daughter, and I will be with you; I am in your heart, and in the mirror looking back at you. Be safe, my little love. May the Force be with you."

With that, Qui-Gon Kenobi's voice faded, and his image blinked out. Ben had just removed the data stick from the holocron when suddenly Tuk-Tuk's head snapped up, _Danger! Bad trouble here now!_ Ben was going to ask him what he meant when they heard a mad chuckle coming from the doorway. They spun around to see Padme, grinning madly, eyes wide with greed. "So. It's on Kashyyk, is it? Good. That's good. And you've led me right to the information I sought. Thank you, _dear_ brother. By the way, girl, your father died screaming. My Knights brought him to me, and I tortured him to death. He died whispering your name, so that should bring you some small comfort."

Ben and Rey stiffened with fury as ten Stormtroopers filed into the room, "We've got this," yelled Finn, "Take care of Padme!"

"BB-8!" Ben snapped, "Here; take this, and keep it safe. Hide until I call for you, okay? We won't let her take you."

Padme laughed maniacally, "That's the way you want to play this, is it? Very well; I'll kill you both, and then I'll tear the droid apart until I get what I want."

"You can try," snarled Rey through gritted teeth. Her saber-staff crackled and hissed as it sprang to life, and Ben's twin sabers whizzed through the air as he lit and twirled them. "You're going to have to get through us both, first." Ben and Rey sank into their fighting-stances, looking like a pair of matched blades as they waited for Padme to make the first move. Tuk-Tuk sprang from Ben's shoulders and ran off to hide with BB-8.

***Author's Note***

*Dries eyes* I actually cried writing this chapter, but I love it so so so much. I felt this chapter was necessary to move Rey forward, and to provide her with closure about her father's abandonment of her, and his eventual death. It's starting to look like I'm going to have to extend this to 35 chapters or thereabouts, though. Hope you enjoyed; leave a review, as ever, and thank you for reading. I adore each and every one of you beautiful people. 3


	29. Chapter 29

***Author's Note***

Good evening, dear friends! This chapter is all plot, so hang on. There will be more fluff shortly, I promise. Can't wait to write more! Enjoy.

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Padme lit her light-saber and bared her teeth in a feral grin, her yellow eyes glinting dangerously. She sprang forward, slashing at the pair as they separated, just in time. Padme's saber came down on the holocron, exactly where the two had been. Rey glanced to the other side of the common room, where Finn and Poe were pinned down by the Stormtroopers, picking their shots carefully; as Rey watched, Finn and Poe each got a kill shot; eight Troopers left.

Rey brought her attention back to Padme and lunged with one end of her staff, which she neatly dodged. Padme lunged viciously at Ben, and he clocked it easily. Ben and Rey continued their uneven duel with Padme for longer than Rey thought possible; Padme was incredibly skilled with a light-saber. Easily, she was Ben's equal. An odd corner of her mind recognized how Ben and Rey moved exactly alike, as though one knew what moves the other would make. Ben would feint to one side, and Padme would instinctively block to the other. The only unknown in this fight, it would seem, was Rey. She seemed to catch Padme by surprise a few times. At last, Padme seemed to grow tired of the back-and-forth; she slashed wickedly at Rey's guy, which Rey barely managed to dodge. Ben tried to shout a warning, but it was too late; the attack had been a feint. Padme brought up her hand and lightning flew from her fingertips at Rey. She was flung through the air, into the wall across the room.

Ben bellowed with rage and flung out his own hand, sending a powerful Force-Blast at Padme, sending her through the wall and out of the house. With a growl, Ben sprung through the hole in the wall after her. When he reached her, her mouth parted in a mad grin, and an insane cackle burst from her.

"Very good. Kill me, then, if that's what you want."

Ben shook his head sadly, "That's not what I want, Padme. That has never been what I wanted, but it seems that you are intent on leaving me no choice."

Ben and Padme sprung simultaneously, his sabers sparking and flashing as they connected with her single one. Ben felt Padme push her mind towards his, but he had been expecting her favorite trick and, while she was distracted, he lunged at her side. His blow struck soundly, and Padme cried out in pain as the acrid smell of burning flesh permeated the air. In rage, Padme hacked at Ben's right knee as his lunge carried him past her left side. The blow damaged his cybernetics, and he found the leg would no longer support him. Padme lifted her light-saber to Ben's throat.

"Drop them. Now, or I finish off your...friends..." Ben dropped his sabers. "I told you that it was useless. You'll never defeat me. You could still come back to us, you know. I could forget any of this ugliness ever happened, and we could rule the galaxy, side-by-side." Ben glared at his sister, "No? Ah, well. I thought I'd offer. Too bad. The next time I see you, _dear_ brother, only one of us will walk away."

Ben sighed, "I know. I feel it, too."

Padme's yellow eyes narrowed in hatred as she raised her hand, sending Ben end-over-end into the sky, before dropping her hand. She watched with no emotion in her yellow eyes as her twin fell from a great height and slammed into the ground. He did not move. Padme grinned wickedly to herself and ran, leaving the scene behind her.

Back inside the house, Poe and Finn had dispatched the last of the Stormtroopers. They rushed over to Rey, hoping she was still breathing. Finn felt at her neck for a pulse, "She's alive!" He exclaimed.

Just then, Rey's back arched and her eyes flew open, "Ben!" She gasped, "Go and see to Ben!"

"But Rey, you..." Finn began, but she cut him off.

"Go! Ben needs you! See to Ben! Go NOW! See to BEN! GO!" The screams that tore from her throat had Finn launching to his feet and sprinting out the front door, knowing something must be terribly wrong with Ben, if Rey was hysterical.

Poe leaned over and gently laid his hand on her shoulder, "You're okay, Rey; Ben's gonna be fine." As he examined Rey, Poe saw that her pupils were tiny pinpricks; she was in terrible pain. But if that pain was her own, or the pain she felt from Ben, he had no idea. Rey struggled to sit up, but Poe stopped her, saying, "Rey; you've just been electrocuted and flung into a wall. You need to get your bearings. Finn is with Ben. He'll be fine."

Just then, from outside, they heard Finn yelling, "BB-8! Come out here, now! I need you!"

BB-8 whirred and beeped anxiously as he rushed outside. Tuk-Tuk came slowly, hesitantly out of hiding and laid a gentle, furry hand against Rey's cheek. _Rey alright? Tuk-Tuk here. Tuk-Tuk love Rey._

Rey lifted her hand to pet Tuk-Tuk's sweet, concerned face, "I'm alright, Tuk-Tuk. And I love you, too. I have to...get to Ben." She tried to get to her feet, but her head spun nauseatingly. She tried again, and managed to regain her feet, but fell again as her knees buckled.

"Rey, you're still smoking."

Rey smirked from her face-down position on the floor. "Poe, I'm glad to hear that you still find me attractive, but how does that have any bearing on me reaching my husband?"

Poe sighed, shook his head, and offered Rey a hand up. "Well, you and your husband sure are cut from the same cloth. You're both stubborn as hell." Tuk-Tuk gently climbed onto Rey's shoulder and hung on as best he could as Rey limped her way out of the house. "You really should rest. You've been electrocuted."

"Yes, but I fear something far worse has happened to Ben. He is in terrible pain." Just then, they saw Finn and BB-8 working furiously over Ben; Rey's limping speed increased.

Finn looked up, "It's okay, Rey, he's alive; he's just unconscious. I don't know what she did to him, but given the indentation around him, I'd say he fell from pretty high up."

"Uuunnngh. I'd say you're absolutely correct. He _did_ _,_ in fact, fall from a great height. Ugh, my head. She could have killed me, but Padme chose to leave me alive. She's gone for the Darksaber; we have to go after her." Rey gasped and laid one hand gently on Ben's face, thumb stroking his scar.

"I'm inclined to agree, Ben, but first, BB-8 has to get your leg fixed. It'll probably have some dings, but we'll just call them scars." Finn smiled, "Is anything broken?"

"My pride, does that count? No? Well, then, I'm not sure; Rey?"

Rey nodded and extended her right hand to assess the damage through the Force, "I'm not sure how you've managed it, my Love, but there is nothing broken. Loads of bruises, of course, and some of those go all the way to the bone, but that's the worst of it. I'd have to say we got off easy." BB-8 beeped quickly, and Rey nodded, "BB-8 says you should try to stand now so he can do the final repairs."

Ben groaned, "Unnn, but I like it down here. Nothing spins when I'm on the ground. Oh, alright." He got slowly to his hands and knees, shaking with effort. Finally, he managed to stand; Finn and Poe held him steady as BB-8 made the final repairs to Ben's cybernetic leg. "BB-8 says your leg should work fine now."

Ben took a few experimental steps, pleased with the little droid's quick work. "Wow, BB-8! That feels great; thank you." Tuk-Tuk extended his hand and slowly climbed onto Ben's shoulder, curling around Ben's neck like a scarf. "We should get back to Mos Iseley and tell Luke what's happened. He'll want to know that my sister now has the location of the Darksaber."

With that, the small band limped and hobbled back to the speeder and scrambled clumsily inside. Rey climbed into the back seat, her face pale and waxy, "Poe, I think you should be the pilot. I feel like I may vomit." Rey leaned her head back and closed her eyes as the others took their places. Ben climbed in beside her, took her hand, and leaned his head gently onto her shoulder with his eyes closed. Finn and Poe suddenly got the feeling that they were intruding on an intensely private, intimate moment, and steadfastly kept their eyes forward.

At last, Mos Iseley came into view, but pillars of smoke rose from the spaceport. Apparently, the battle had already ended. Rey and Ben came back to the present, looking around, concerned. Poe pulled the speeder over and parked. Ben scrambled clumsily out first with Tuk-Tuk clinging to his shoulders, and walked around the back of the speeder to help Rey climb down. As her feet hit the ground, her face went ashen, and she lunged for a wall. She proceeded to vomit violently, her head spinning and her chest aching.

Ben watched her, concerned. "Where did the lightning hit you?" Rey pointed to her chest. "That's not good, Rey; you're lucky to be alive." She nodded, panting, as Ben rubbed her back, leaning heavily on the wall, himself. At length, Rey felt steady enough to stand and wrap an arm around her husband; they helped each other hobble into the town.

From a distance, Captain Morris spotted them and came hurrying over. "What happened!? Is everyone alright?"

Ben held up a hand to forestall the questions, "Yes, Captain. We're all fine. I need to speak with my Uncle; where is he?" Morris pointed in the correct direction, "Thank you," said Ben. The ragged group weaved their way through the crowd, earning stares as they.

Luke turned as he sensed Ben's approach, frowning as he sensed his pain. "What is it? What happened?"

"Padme followed us, Uncle; unfortunately, she now knows where the Darksaber is. We should be able to get there first, if we hurry."

Luke sighed and nodded, "Alright; what's wrong with Rey?"

"Ah. Force-Lightning," responded Ben as Rey swayed.

Luke nodded, "That'll do it. She should be fine after she gets some rest; we should be ready to leave soon enough."

Finally, three hours later, the transport ships were loaded and ready to go; another two hours in hyperspace, and they were landing gratefully back on Tagoria and limping off to their respective quarters. Ben and Rey stumbled, exhausted, into their room and stripped off their clothes, too weary for the 'fresher. They crawled into bed, and Rey barely had time to wrap around her Love and pillow her head on his chest before she was asleep. Tuk-Tuk settled himself onto the foot of their bed and he, too, was soon asleep.

***Author's Note***

Yaaay! More plot! Hope y'all enjoyed the Ben/Padme angst. More will be up tomorrow, my dears. Until then, to quote Shakespeare, "Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night til it be the morrow!"

*Shameless Romeo and Juliet quote* As ever, thank you for reading, and feel free to leave any comments!


	30. Chapter 30

***Author's Note***

Okay, all, so I know it's been pretty heavy, but in this chapter, there is a definite return of Reylo lemon-y goodness! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

***End Note***

Ben woke in the morning with a groan, which Rey echoed. "I feel like I lost a fight with an entire _clan_ of Wookies," Ben mumbled into the pillow.

"Mmph. I know how you feel. Mine's more like somebody opened up my chest, messed about with my heart, closed me up, and beat me about my head, gut, and just about everywhere else with a club for good measure."

Ben lifted his head off the pillow to stare at Rey with his jaw slightly unhinged. "Well, that was...descriptive." He lost his composure then and snorted into hi pillow, laughing hysterically.

Rey chuckled, "If I had the strength to lift a pinky, I'd hit you with a pillow." This statement only succeeded in sending Ben into further hysterics. Ben was laughing so hard that Rey felt obliged to join in. "Oh, stop it! It hurts! Stop making me laugh!" Just then, there came a beep at the door. Rey yanked the blankets around them, and flicked a finger at the door so it wooshed open to reveal Finn and Poe standing, bemused, on the other side, still in only their sleeping trousers and dark circles under their eyes.

"Well, you two certainly seem to be enjoying yourselves. What, exactly, is so damn funny?" Poe grumbled. "do you two have any idea what frigging time it is?" Rey and Ben glanced at each other and snorted out another laugh, which irritated Poe further. "You two woke us up! You do know that our room shares a wall with yours, don't you?" This only made Ben and Rey laugh harder, and even Finn was starting to smirk. Poe stood, staring from Ben, to Rey, to Finn, looking like an owl as his head whipped back and forth. At last, Finn dissolved into giggles, and hung on Poe's arm for support. "I still don't...get what's...so damn...funny!" Poe choked out as he began to chuckle.

All four fell into hilarity, tears of of laughter rolling down their cheeks. Suddenly, from Tuk-Tuk, whom they had all assumed was still sleeping, came an irritated _You all strange. Wake Tuk-Tuk. Why you so loud?_ This only exacerbated the situation. Completely undone, Finn and Poe fell to the ground, clutching their stomachs. Tuk-Tuk raised his head and narrowed his amber eyes at the in irritation. _Not funny_ _._

There came another beep at the door, but Rey didn't get the chance to even twitch a finger before it slid open again. Luke and Leia stood, each leaning on one side of the door frame, their body language perfectly mirroring the other; each was grinning, and Leia's eyes sparkled with amusement. Luke chuckled at the raucous laughter, "So, what brought this on?"

"We...have...no...idea!" Finn gasped between guffaws.

"Well, between the four of you, you have managed to wake this entire section!" Leia chuckled, "Well, it's nice to be woken by laughter, rather than the screaming of sirens, for once." Luke nodded in agreement.

Luke and Leia's appearance seemed to have a sobering affect on Rey, Ben, Finn, and Poe. Slowly, their chortling began to subside, and Ben got a good look at Finn and Poe. They were both covered with angry, mottled bruises and puckered, blistering burns. "You two look like hell," he observed, rubbing his now-aching stomach and wiping tears from his face.

Poe raised an eyebrow, "And you two look like a painting done by a demented toddler."

Rey chuckled, "Oh, please, no more. I can't take it." She sighed and snuggled in closer to Ben's warmth and laying her head on his chest.

"You two aren't wearing any clothes, are you?" Finn's cheeks darkened as the realization struck him.

Ben began to applaud, "Well done, Finn; once again, your powers of observation astound us." Finn rolled his eyes at Ben.

"Well, get dressed, all of you. Since everyone's up, we might as well start planning our excursion to Kashyyk," Leia chimed in, with a tone of authority and finality that was not to be argued with.

Finn and Poe stood, "See you in a bit, then," said Finn as he and Poe left to get dressed. Luke and Leia turned to follow them, the doors sliding shut behind them. _Finally gone. Tuk-Tuk sleep now_. Ben and Rey looked hastily away from each other to keep from bursting into laughter again.

"Well, as much as I'd love to stay right here and seduce you, my Light, we should really go help with the planning," said Ben reluctantly. They rolled slowly and stiffly out of bed, wincing at their many bruises, and began to pull on their robes. They finally had their boots strapped on and their light-sabers clipped to their belts, so they walked, hand-in-hand, out of their room. Meeting up with Finn and Poe, who had been waiting for them outside their own room, the group walked for a while in companionable silence until Ben broke the silence, "So, I've been wondering something. If one or both of you wants some...female companionship, how does that work, what with you two sharing a room and all?"

Poe stared at Ben in shock as Rey smothered a giggle. "Well, we take turns. Finn uses our room one time, and I get it the next. Otherwise, we go to the lady's room. It's worked pretty well, so far."

"Huh," said Ben. "I suppose that's the only way it really could work, isn't it?"

"Why were you asking?"

"Oh, no reason. Just trying to picture the two of you trying to have a private moment with a female, when your beds are side-by-side." Ben chuckled sadistically as both Poe and Finn flushed. "I just wanted to make the two of you blush, to be honest." Ben went broodingly silent for a while, earning a sidelong glance from Rey.

"Okay; what's on your mind? You're unusually quiet. You only get this quiet when you're brooding about something. So. What's going on?"

"I've just got this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I think the end is coming; I think that Padme and I may meet for the last time on Kashyyk. The thought terrifies me. I don't want to kill my own sister, Rey, but I know that, if it comes down to it, I may well have no choice."

Rey squeezed his hand, "I know, my Love. But, it doesn't seem like she's left you any other choice, does it?"

"No, my Light. It does not." Finn and Poe exchanged a worried glance as they all entered the briefing room together.

"Ah; good. Now that we're all here, we can begin. I'll keep this short, sweet, and simple. Ben, Rey, Finn, and Poe with go to the surface of Kashyyk and find the Twi'lek. It will be their job to convince him to give up the Darksaber. The rest of us will stay the _hell_ out of their way! We will remain on the transport ships and maintain constant comlink contact. Should things become...difficult, it will be our job to intervene and make sure to get our people out. If they call us to the surface, we go; no questions asked. Is that clear?" A resounding "Yes, General" rang through the room. "Good. Now; go and spend the day with your loved ones; tomorrow, we load the ships and head for Kashyyk."

They room quickly emptied; Ben and Rey exchanged glanced with eyebrows raised. "Well, Mother, that was...brief. Why?"

Leia smiled as she looked up from the datapad she held and turned to her son. "You and I both know the odds are good that this thing will end tomorrow, one way or another. Now, I would suggest that the two of you meditate and heal yourselves. As for how to occupy your time after that...well. I'm pretty sure you can figure out a way to stay busy." The General winked at them before she turned her back to them and resumed examining the datapad, in a clear dismissal.

Ben and Rey returned to their rooms and decided to take the General's advice. They settled down to meditate, and as they did, they allowed the Force to flow through them freely, healing the damage that Padme had left behind. For the next two hours, the pair remained submerged in the Force, and within each others' presence. In that space between dreaming and wakefulness, they found peace together. At last, they sensed that the Force had finished its work; they surfaced and opened their eyes, happy just to sit and watch each other breath for a long moment. Rey stood first and held out her hand for Ben's. She lead him to the bed and helped him strip quickly out of his clothes. He bent down to kiss her, but she put her hand up to his lips, shaking her head silently. She pushed him gently to the bed, face-down, and then stripped off her own clothes.

Ben watched curiously as Rey padded naked to the bed and climbed on top of him, sitting on his lower back. He sighed with pleasure as he felt her begin to work the knots out of his neck and shoulders. She worked her way down his back, paying special attention to the shoulder blades, leaving relaxed muscles behind. Then, she trailed kisses down his spine where her hands had traced. He shivered as each kiss left a line of goosebumps in its wake. At last, her clever hands found his lower back and worked to relieve the tension that had built up there. As she felt the last of the tension give way, she pressed a kiss to the base of his spine. Ben shuddered and raised up on one elbow to cup her face in his right hand.

Rey saw the emotion stirring in Ben's eyes and smiled. Without a word between them, Ben shifted and drew her into a gentle but deep kiss. As the kiss lengthened, Ben lowered Rey gently onto the bed, tracing her curves with his left hand. He found her warmth and discovered her already wet and ready for him. He gently worked his fingers in her to stoke the need that was already stirring in her. She sighed and arched her back in response as she raised her hands to run them through his hair. Gently, she brought his face to hers and kissed his forehead, then his scar, then his mouth. Ben moaned into the kiss and braced himself with one hand on either side of her as he sank slowly into her center. She gasped, and Ben could see her eyes deepen with desire and love; he felt that he could drown in those eyes, and he would not mind in the least. He held her gaze as he began, slowly, to move within her.

Ben gently wound his arms under her, fastening her to his chest as her fingertips traced the length of his back; and still, he moved in her. Their breath began to quicken, but he kept the pace slow and steady, still with his eyes locked on hers. At last, they felt a slow wave of euphoria rise up, and just as it threatened to swallow them both, they felt the wave crash and break upon them as they climaxed, and Ben's seed was released into her. Ben's breath rushed out of him in a great, trembling sigh of contentment as he slowly drew himself from within her and laid his head on her breast, still holding her tightly to him. "I love you, my precious desert rat."

Rey smiled and replied thickly, "As you know I love you." They laid together for some time, perfectly content to simply be in this moment, silently together. At last, they slipped into a dreamless sleep.

When Ben woke, he was alone. At first, he was concerned, but then he sensed Rey in the bathroom, and he was comforted, but only for a moment. Something wasn't quite right. He rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom, where she stood, wide-eyed, staring into the mirror. "Rey?" he said softly from the doorway. She jumped and turned to face him. "Rey, what's wrong?" He sensed something, but then she pushed the thought away before he could examine it. "What was that? What are you hiding from me?"

Rey smiled and took his face in her hands, tracing his scar with her thumbs, as she so often did. "It's nothing, my love. It's nothing that can't wait. If there is anything to discuss, we can discuss it after this is done. Now, come; let's go back to bed. I'm still tired, and there are a few hours yet before we need to be up." She took his hand, leading him back to bed, where she settled in against his chest, breathing in his scent in deep, calming breaths. Before long, they had both sunk back into sleep.

In the morning, they dressed quickly and headed to the landing pads. They found Luke and Leia already hard at work, directing everyone to their transports. As they stood watching the organized chaos, Finn and Poe walked up behind them, Tuk-Tuk trailing behind them. "And just where have you been? We were worried when we couldn't find you, Tuk-Tuk." _Rey and Ben...alone time..._ The innuendo in the simple words was so thick that Ben and Rey choked on a laugh.

"He felt that you two needed some...alone time...So, he spent the evening with us; he was very entertaining, and the girls really liked him."

Rey rolled her eyes at the pair of them, "Honestly, sometimes I think you two are just a couple of teenagers."

Finn's eyes narrowed as he looked more closely at his friend, "Rey, are you alright? You look a little pale."

Rey smiled and laid a gentle hand on Finn's shoulder, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

The four headed towards the largest of the transports; Leia caught each of their eyes for a moment and nodded. _Good luck,_ heard Ben and Rey. Within the hour, the transport ships were fully loaded and ready to go. The General's voice crackled over the ship-to-ship comm. "We may see a great battle today, we may not. None of us truly know for certain what will happen on Kashyyk. However, to those brave few who are going down to the planet first, I say: Good luck, and May the Force be with you all." The comm crackled off, and they felt the engines roar to life as the transports lifted off. As soon as they were clear of Tagoria's atmosphere, the ships entered into hyperspace, using the fastest channels they could find. At long last, after a long 8-hour race through hyperspace, the ships came smoothly back into normal space and neatly into orbit around Kashyyk; First Order ships were already there. Rey, Ben, Finn, and Poe hurried to their shuttle, not saying a word, only glancing around as though to say goodbye, and launched towards the planet.

***Author's Note***

Oooooooo; here we go! This is gonna be fun! Hope y'all liked it. As ever, thank you for reading. I adore each and every one of you; I've received over 17,500 views, which is astonishing to me, so thank you! Please keep on reading and sending me your lovely words of encouragement.


	31. Chapter 31

***Author's Note***

Good Evening, my friends! Okay, so long chapter tonight. I had a lot to get through, so hold on to your hats (if you're wearing them!) Hope you enjoy the chapter. Not a whole lot more to go; one, maybe two more chapters, and it'll be done. I'd like to thank SereneDefiance for her invaluable critique and all her lovely musings. There are a couple bits I added to this chapter, just for her; she'll know which ones they are. ^_^ Enjoy!

***End Note***

Poe angled the shuttle for the ground, bypassing the Wookie cities; Chewie had spent most of the day preparing the Wookie High Council for what they may be able to expect for the next 24 hours or so. Poe put the shuttle down in the middle of a small meadow, and they all filed quickly out. Rey and Ben felt through the Force to ascertain which direction they should go. They both pointed off to the left of the shuttle, and the excursion was off. They trudged for hours through the jungle, pausing now and again to choose a fork in their path, or to check to be sure they were not being followed.

"Are you going to tell me what you're hiding from me, or will I have to figure it out myself?" Ben asked as he glanced at Rey.

Rey sighed, "I thought we'd already been over this, Ben. I said we'll talk about it after this whole mess is over."

"Exactly when is that? When we've got the Darksaber? Or did you mean when my sister is dead?"

Rey looked stricken and more pale than ever, "Oh, Ben, no; that's not what I mean at all! I just meant until the First Order is at least crippled, if not defeated entirely."

Ben growled under his breath, "But that could be another year!"

Rey stopped and took Ben's shoulders, turning him to look at her, "Trust me, Ben. It won't wait that long. I promise, I'll talk to you before the month is out, but if both of our but feelings are right, you probably won't have to wait even _that_ long. Hopefully, we'll be discussing this tomorrow."

Ben stared at her for a long moment, "Alright. We'll talk tomorrow. But I'll keep you to that, even if this isn't finished. Deal?"

Rey thought for a moment, "Deal. Now; we have a job to do."

Poe opened his mouth to ask what that had all been about, when Ben and Rey's heads snapped up, and they held up a hand. "Something's wrong," they said in tandem before they took off running. As they ran, their feeling of dread increased; suddenly, there was smoke in the air, and getting thicker. They broke through a gap in the trees, and they saw before them a small hut that had once blended in to its surroundings perfectly. Now, however, it burned like a torch; they knew that if anyone was still inside, there was no chance to save them. Suddenly, off the left, in a small clearing, a small patch of orange caught Rey's eye. She sprinted off towards it, with Ben hot on her heels. Rey drew up short, her hands covering her mouth as she gasped. Poe and Finn caught up to them, and both greened a bit. The Twi'lek had clearly been tortured heartlessly. One of his Lek'ku had been severed, and there were many long, shallow gashes that had clearly been made by a light-saber. He had many smaller cuts, as though he had been viciously beaten, and three of his fingers had been cut off; the rest were pointing off in odd angles. The final blow, however, was the dagger that had been stuck in his gut.

Ben's mouth was set in a grim line as he knelt beside the old Twi'lek, gently pulling him upright so the Twi'lek's back would rest against Ben's chest. "Hold on, Old One; I'll help you, just hold on."

The Old One's hand came up and rested heavily on Ben's hand, "It is too late...for me. You must...stop her...your sister...she...took it...I could not...stop...her," his eyes widened as he spoke, his panic clear to see.

"Damn it," Finn muttered. Poe ran his fingers trough his hair, frustrated, as he began to pace in a circle.

Rey came to kneel beside the Old One, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry we weren't on time. If we'd just been a little faster..."

The Old One shook his head, "Quiet, now, child," he said gently. "She would have...found me...sooner...or...later. I am...an old man now...I have lived...alone...for so long...I will be glad...of...company again. There is...one thing...you should know. She said...you'd come...She said...she's waiting...She said you'd know...where she means. She said...it ends today...You _must_ end it..." His back arched as he convulsed violently, "For all life...you must...end...this..." the convulsion calmed, and one final breath rattled from his lungs as the light faded from the Old One's eyes. So ended one bearer of the Darksaber, and began another.

Ben touched the comm that was hooked to his robes, "Mother; we found the Twi'lek. But we were too late; Padme got here first. She has the Darksaber, and the Old One is dead. She didn't just kill him, mother. She...tortured him. No, that's too tame a term for what she did to him. I don't think she did this because she had to, either. No, there's a disturbance in the Force here. She kept him alive while she _worked_ on him." His disgust was clear in his voice, and he could not resist the sneer that curled his lip. "She has gone too far, this time, Mother. I cannot allow this to continue; I have allowed it for too long. It ends today. There will be a clearing with a rock wall on the right side; set the transport ships down there. I can sense the force she brought with her; she intends this to be the final battle, I think." Just then, there came the flash of lightning and the roll of thunder; a storm was coming.

Leia's voice crackled through the comm, "Message understood, Ben. We will join you as soon as we find the clearing. We'll judge by your current position. And son?" The General's voice cracked, "Come home to me. May the Force be with you."

Ben slid out from under the Twi'lek's body and laid him gently on the ground, a terrible fire in his eyes. He stood and raised his right hand; a massive amount of dirt rose and settled beside a new grave. Ben then extended his hand towards the Old One, lifting him with the Force, and laying him gently in the grave before covering him again with the mound of dirt. Next, he brought a stone from within the ground and settled it at the head of the grave, upon which he carved, **Here lies the Old One, whose courage was unsurpassed by lesser beings.** "Padme will pay for what she did here today. I may not have my connection to her anymore, but I still know her Force-Signature better than anyone. We must find her, and quickly."

Ben opened his mind and pressed his consciousness outward from himself, seeking Padme's Force Signature. His eyes flew open, sparking with righteous fury, as he located her. "She's this way," he snarled as he surged forward, fury roiling off of him like a tide. Poe and Finn kept up as best they could, but soon began to fall behind, panting with exhaustion.

Rey dug in her heels and _yanked_ on Ben's arm, stopping him. He turned, snarling as electricity snapped and crackled from his fingertips. "Ben, you need to calm down. You're walking a dagger's edge; if you're not careful, you'll stray too far on one direction, and fall back to the Dark Side. Look at me!" Ben's eyes snapped to hers and held as he took a deep breath, then another, followed by a third. By now, Finn and Poe had caught up to them and were watching Ben warily, with fear creeping into their eyes. He could sense their fear, but it was Rey's fear that undid him. _She_ was afraid of him.

The energy rolling off of him subsided and the electricity stopped crackling. Sense returned to Ben's eyes, and he was abruptly ashamed of himself. "Rey...I'm so sorry. I lost my temper for a moment, but I'm alright now. Please, don't be afraid of me, Rey. I can't stand that from you." He took a small, hesitant step towards her, arms extended, and she closed the distance, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in his chest. "I am so sorry, my Light," he whispered as he stroked her hair. "You are right, as always. It will never happen again. You will never again have cause to fear me."

Just then, all four were jolted into activity when they heard Tuk-Tuk's unmistakable "voice", _Behind! Danger!_ Ben spun and managed to bring his twin sabers up to block just in time; green flashed and sparked against red as they sprang apart. "Poe! Finn! Stay behind us!" Shouted Ben, aiming a Force-Blast at his opponent. Out of the corner of his eye Ben saw Rey's saber-staff blur into a violet-colored whirlwind as she attacked a second opponent; both seemed surprised at the resistance. Ben's opponent aimed a vicious blow at Ben's neck; he ducked, rolled, and lunged upwards, his sabers sinking to the hilt into his opponent's back. His opponent fell to the ground just in time for Ben to see Rey neatly block with one end of her saber, then spin into her opponent, burying the other end of the staff in his gut. As her opponent fell to the ground, she shut off her staff-saber and ran to Ben's side.

 _"_ _How did we not sense them?"_

 _"_ _Padme must have been cloaking them, somehow. What_ _I_ _would like to know," Ben started, his voice unnervingly even as he turned to where Tuk-Tuk sat perched in a tree, "is where the_ _hell_ _you_ came from! You're supposed to be on Tagoria! There's a reason we left while you were sleeping, and that was it! You could have been killed, Tuk-Tuk!"

Tuk-Tuk sat staring down at them, utterly unabashed. _Ben maybe die. Rey maybe die. Leave Tuk-Tuk alone. Tuk-Tuk not want be alone. If Ben die, if Rey die, Tuk-Tuk die. Tuk-Tuk go where Bond-mates go._

Ben felt a lump rise in his throat as he walked over to the tree. "Come down here, Tuk-Tuk." Tuk-Tuk slowly and cautiously climbed down the tree and stared mournfully at Ben, his amber eyes he in his feline face. Ben held out his arm, and Tuk-Tuk climbed carefully up Ben's arm, settling onto his shoulder, nuzzling into Ben's cheek. "Tuk-Tuk? I understand exactly how you feel; I feel that way about Rey. Knowing how you feel, I couldn't possibly send you back, nor do I think you would go. Therefore, all I will say is stay safe when we reach the battlefield, okay?" Tuk-Tuk cocked his head as he watched Ben and considered. _Tuk-Tuk safe. Yes. Tuk-Tuk be safe. Tuk-Tuk help, too! Tuk-Tuk stay on cliff. Throw rock!_ Ben chuckled at the thought, "That is an excellent idea, my friend!"

Ben held out a hand to Rey, and together they again started towards Padme's Force Signature. Finn and Poe seemed unable to relax; they kept their blasters drawn, and kept rotating as they walked; checking their six and checking the trees. "I've got a bad feeling about this," Grumbled Finn. "Han always told me to listen to my feelings."  
"So does Luke," muttered Poe.

"What do you mean, Poe? What does my Uncle have to do with Finn?"

"Oops," said Poe.

Finn sighed in irritation, "I didn't want anyone to know just yet. Luke has been training me for the last few months. Apparently, I'm a Force-Sensitive."

Ben and Rey glanced at each other and rolled their eyes, "About damn time," they said together.

"Wha...but, I...you...How did..." he sputtered and stammered until Rey took pity on him and interrupted.

"Finn, we've always known. Anyone who's even partially Force-Sensitive stands out like a sore thumb to someone who's been trained. We just figured you wanted to be left alone about it."

Ben stopped suddenly, his face terribly still. "It's just through there. Both armies are just...waiting. Tuk-Tuk; go now. I don't want her to see you." Tuk-Tuk nodded and sprung from Ben's shoulder, swinging from vine to vine as he headed towards the cliffs. Ben watched him go anxiously. "I just hope he'll be alright. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him."

Rey took his arm, "I understand. I feel the same about all of you."

Rey and Ben clasped hands tightly, took a deep breath, and stepped through the trees, their backs ramrod-straight. Poe and Finn followed behind, looking for all the galaxy like a pair of bodyguards, not that Ben and Rey needed them. To their left waited the Resistance, with General Organa at their front, with the ever-faithful Captain Antilles on her left, and her beloved twin on her right. She held one hand of each man, and squeezed tightly. They sensed relief spread through the Resistance as they saw their four heroes arrived. To the right, the First Order was arranged in all its strength and power. Padme stood brazenly at the front, grinning madly.

"At least, our honored guests have joined us." Scattered laughter echoed through the First Order. "Welcome, dear brother. I hope you have been well?"

Ben's eyebrows drew together, "Enough with the formalities. No more games, Padme. We both know why we're here. You said it yourself: 'The next time we meet, only one of us will walk away.' Isn't that what you said? Well, I finally agree. This must end, Padme. We can't go on like this. You can't go on like this."

Padme's eyes popped wide, and a mad cackle burst from her throat. "You wish so quickly to end the pleasantries? Fine!" She waved her hand, and her forces rushed forward.

General Organa shouted, "Charge!" The Resistance surged forward, like an army of angry ants as blaster bolts flew every which way overhead. Dozens of Knights of Ren stepped forward, engaging their light-sabers simultaneously. Ben and Rey glanced at each other, lighting their sabers in answer.

"Now would be a good time, Finn," Luke shouted above the din. Finn grimaced, but nodded. From under his jacket, he produced a light-saber of his very own; as it engaged, Rey saw that it shone a bright silver, with a very slight curve at the tip. He stood proudly between Luke and Rey. Clearly, the Knights had not expected a fourth Jedi. Even as Ben marveled at their good fortune to have such a friend, another light-saber lit, followed by another, then three more. Soon, another dozen light-sabers gleamed in the darkness of the impending storm, ready to take on the Knights. Padme no longer looked quite so cocksure. The mad gleam had faded from her eyes, and she looked...worried.

"You worry about your sister; we've got this!" shouted Finn. He and Rey screamed fierce battle-cries as they leaped into battle.

Ben turned his full attention to his sister and removed his light-sabers from his belt, holding them comfortably in his hands, gazing fondly at their gleaming silver hilts for a moment before engaging the brilliant green blades. "You could still come back, Padme. You could call off this whole thing, and just come home. It doesn't have to end this way."

"Yes. It does. And besides, I'm tired of your silly speeches. You and your wife will die here on this field." Just then, another flash of lightning, and another roll of thunder tore through the sky, as the rain began to pour from the sky. "How appropriate, don't you think, brother? It looks familiar, doesn't it? How many times have you dreamed of murdering me here!?"

Ben shook his head, "I never dreamed of killing you; only mourning you. Please, Padme. You're my sister, and I love you. I have never had any desire to kill you, nor do I possess such a desire now! Do not make me do this." Ben pleaded with his twin one final, desperate time.

In answer, Padme activated her light-saber before switching it to her left hand; from her belt, she drew a second, shorter saber, with a hilt as black as night. As it hissed to life, Ben saw the blade curved gently, elegantly, to a point. The blade was utterly black; like the opposite of a light-saber. Rather than _produce_ _light,_ it was as though the blade _absorbed_ light. The effect was striking, and disturbing. It was only amplified by Padme's second, red-bladed light-saber, which she now held in her left hand. Unlike Ben, however, Padme had never mastered the two-handed technique; she had always favored the single-blade style. Therefore, her left hand became more for defense. Ben, however, had trained long and hard with his two-handed style, mastering it so completely that he had become utterly ambidextrous when there was a light-saber in each hand.

They circled like rabid dogs, neither taking their eyes off the other. "I know what she hides form you, Ben." She jerked her head in Rey's direction.

"Fine, but I don't want to know."

"Hmph. Well, I just thought I'd offer before she dies. You see, you might have figured out how to block me from your mind, but no one else here has." Padme's eyes unfocused as every soldier within ten feet of Padme, whether Resistance or Stormtrooper, put their blaster to their own head and pulled the trigger, screaming in terror. Ben stared in shock.

"How could you? You own men..."

"They matter little to me. Now, killing your friends...that would matter to me." Ben watched in horror as Rey, Finn, and Luke turned their light-sabers on themselves. They struggled as they drove their own sabers towards themselves. _FORCE! USE NOW!_ Came Tuk-Tuk's agonized scream into Ben's mind, shocking him into action.

 _"_ _NO!_ _"_ Screamed Ben. He brought up his right hand, still clutching one of his light-sabers, and shoved the Force towards Padme, sending her flying, end-over-end into the cliff on the other side of the field. He Force-Jumped multiple times in quick succession to propel himself from rock to tree, and high into the air, before landing in a graceful crouch, light-sabers held out behind him, directly in front of Padme's prone form. "Get up," he snarled. "Let us finish this, since it is what you seem to crave."

Padme spat blood onto the ground and stood, grinning madly, her teeth dyed red. Her senseless yellow eyes popped wide, "There's the brother I've been waiting for. You'll kill me for her, then? Is there anything you wouldn't do for the girl?"

"No; there is nothing I wouldn't do for her. Everything that I have done has been for her. But this, I will not do for Rey. This, I will do for you, my dearest twin."

Padme screeched with rage and sprung at her brother, bringing both blades down ferociously on her brother's; his knees buckled from the power behind the blow. "You know you don't want this, Padme." He shook off her attack, and launched one of his own. He spun, striking first with left, then right, then left again. She countered with a powerful slash across his eyes, which he narrowly avoided; the heat of the Darksaber burned his forehead. "Be reasonable, sister!" Ben sprung into the air to land behind her, where he jabbed quickly; Padme spun and blocked, just in time. Again and again, one attacked and the other countered. At last, Ben left a minuscule opening that he knew she would see. Padme took the bait and lunged, but at the last second, he saw hesitation spring into her eyes. The Darksaber began to vibrate in her hand; Padme's attention was diverted for a fraction of a second, and her brow knit together over her yellow eyes. Ben breathed deep, knowing what he must do. He pressed the light-saber in his right hand up, forcing her left hand away, opening her right side, and brought up the saber in his left hand to sever her right hand. Ben dropped the light-saber in his left hand long enough to Force-Push the hand, still holding the Darksaber far from his sister; where it landed, he did not know. As Padme staggered backwards, screaming in pain, Ben called his own light-saber back to his hand, and _lunged,_ _both sabers pointing directly at her. With an agonizing scream, he sank his light-sabers to the hilt in his beloved sister's chest._

Across the field, Rey gasped and turned to face Ben. She saw him lunge, and she knew what was about to happen. She sprinted across the field, knowing she had to be near him. Ben drew his sabers from Padme's chest. Her yellow eyes stood out shockingly against her pale face, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Oh," she said softly as her knees gave way. Ben lurched forward to catch her, pillowing her head in his lap.

"No, Padme. Please, don't go. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, don't leave me, sister." Rey stood silently before them, tears streaming down her face, her saber-staff still glowing a vivid violet. Padme's lips were moving, but no sound would come out. "Shh, it's okay. You're going to be fine."

"I...love...you...brother...Thank...you..." Padme jerked once in Ben's arms, and then went terribly still as her final breath shuddered from her lungs.

Ben shook his head in denial, "No. Padme, wake up." He began to shake her as he screamed, "Get up! Don't go! Please, no! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" At last, he could no longer deny the fact that she was gone and screamed, a heartrending, gut-churning sound that carried on the wind and struck every living soul that heard it to the core. Slowly, the battle wound down as more and more combatants turned to see what had been the cause of such a sound.

Rey began to sob in earnest. Ben looked up at her and screamed through the rain, as his voice cracked with his grief, "Why did it have to be her?" Rey disengaged her saber-staff and shook her head as she sank to her knees, sharing in Ben's grief. As ever, his pain was her pain; she knew he wanted to join his sister in the Force. They stayed like that, both sitting in the muck and mud and blood, for an immeasurable length of time. At long last, General Organa strode through the mass of bodies, pushing people out of her way with Chewie's help. At last, she reached her son, and fell to her knees beside him, openly weeping for the loss of her daughter. They clung to each other for a long moment. Chewie knelt carefully beside Rey and put a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're here, my friend," Rey murmured thickly. _Tuk-Tuk coming._ He came springing down the cliff-side and skidded to a halt beside Rey, spraying mud everywhere; it would have been funny, had the scene not been so dismal. Tuk-Tuk sensed the pain of his Bond-mates, and curled into Rey's lap, giving her what comfort he could. Chewie huffed gently and placed his hands on Rey's elbows, lifting her gently to her feet; simultaneously, Leia did the same for her son. He struggled to his feet, hefting his sister's motionless body.

They formed a small procession with Finn and Poe bringing up the rear, and the crowd parted respectfully before them, removing helmets and hats, or simply bowing their heads if they had neither. By the time they finally reached the Wookie tree-city, the storm had finally stopped. Ben laid his sister's body on a bed of rushes; apparently a runner had been sent ahead to request that the Wookies prepare a funeral. As they raised the funeral pyre, Ben stood before the gathered crowd and began to speak, tears still streaming down his face.

"My sister and I have not had the most ideal relationship. And yet, here we are, all mourning her loss. She may have been nothing more to you than an evil tyrant, but to me, she was my twin; my other half. We shared everything for every moment of our lives together, until the Dark Side stole her from me. I refuse to remember Padme the way she died. Instead, I will remember the child she was before the Darkness took her. I will remember a beautiful young lady who was always quick to laugh and tease." Ben took the torch a Wookie offered him, and turned to where his beloved twin now laid upon the completed pyre. He strode forward and laid the torch gently on the wood, which caught quickly. "Goodbye, my twin. May the Force be with you, always. I will miss you," he added quietly, as though to himself. Rey stepped forward to take her place by his side, and silently wrapped her left arm around his waist, Tuk-Tuk still curled in the crook of her right. Ben leaned his head onto Rey's and pressed a kiss to her hair. They stood there like that until the fire began to die.

Chewie laid a gentle hand on each of their shoulders and whined softly. They followed as he led them through the tree-town, until they came to a little bungalow. Chewie held the door open for them and bowed his way out of the room, letting the door swing shut behind him. Ben and Rey took advantage of the solitude to use the large tub they found heating over a fire on the far side of the room to scrub first themselves, and then Tuk-Tuk, free of the mud and blood. Without bothering to put their clothes back on, Ben and Rey (who was still carrying Tuk-Tuk) climbed into bed with Tuk-Tuk nestled comfortably between his Bond-mates, and fell into the blessed, comforting emptiness of a dreamless sleep.

***Author's Note***

Okay, wow. Hopefully nobody's too terribly emotionally distraught after that. Phew. Okay, all the heavy is over; the remainder will be sheer fluff and happiness! I promise! Thank you all for reading, as ever.


	32. Chapter 32

_*_ **Author's Note***

Well, my friends, here it is, at long last; the final chapter. I hope that you enjoyed my little story. I will have many more stories to come!

***End Note***

The next few days, Ben spoke very little. Rey did not comment on it, however; she let him keep keep his own council. She figured he would talk to her when he was ready to. His pain and loss was palpable to her, and she seemed to be the only thing that provided any kind of comfort for him; except, perhaps, for Tuk-Tuk. In the days since the death of Padme, the Resistance had begun to retrieve their dead; the initial numbers had been staggering, and they grew daily. Ben and Rey had helped for the first two days, but Rey had grown concerned with his increasing depression and insisted that they return to Tagoria. Ben had complied with a grunt and a shrug.

Rey sighed; they had been back for three days now, and Ben had not so much as kissedher since Padme's death. He would hardly even lookat her. She knew it had nothing to do with her, but still...it hurt. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how. The most intimate they got these days was when she felt Ben's mind press against hers, and their consciousnesses would merge; it was the only comfort he would take from her. He didn't even hold her at night anymore. Rey glanced at their balcony; Ben had been sitting there for hours already, staring into nothing with Tuk-Tuk draped around his shoulders. She wondered sometimes if Ben even slept at all. Every morning when she woke, he was already up and dressed, sitting in some corner or another, staring into nothing, saying nothing, rarely moving.

Rey couldn't take it anymore. She left their room, feeling the need to be anywhere but there. She needed to dosomething anything. Rey didn't even notice that she had started to weep until she turned a corner and bumped straight into Poe and Finn, her eyes so blurry with tears that she could barely see.

Finn sensed her state of distress immediately, "Poe, there's something really wrong with Ben, I think. I think it's starting to bleed over into Rey, through their Force-Bond."

Poe's eyebrows shot up in alarm, "Okay. So, what do we do?"

Finn thought a moment, "We have to take her to Luke. He always knows what to do." Finn and Poe each wrapped an arm around Rey's waist, half-dragging her to Luke's quarters.

To their surprise, they found him waiting for them, his door wide open. "You were right to bring her to me; direct her to the bench. Ben should know better than to...This is incredibly dangerous for her. But then, he doesn't know...poor girl, and in her condition, too. Rey? Rey, can you hear me?"

Rey blinked and tried to clear her vision. "Master?" Luke put an arm around Rey's shoulders, and she stiffened. She seemed suddenly to crumple as her entire body shook with sobs. "Oh, Master...I think...I think I'm losing him! He just sitsthere, all day, all night! He hardly even looksat me! He hasn't so much as held me since she died. Every day, I feel him slip further away, and I can't do anything! He doesn't sleep, he doesn't eat, he doesn't speak! He might as well have died with her! Master, what do I do?" Rey gasped with pain, unable to continue.

Luke drew her in against his chest, where she clung as though he were a lifeline. "Hush, now. Hush. Look at me, Rey," he felt her raise her head and took her face in his hands, wiping her tears away, "Rey. You need to tell him, and don't ask me what I mean. You know full well what I mean. He has the right to know, and you can't keep hiding the truth from him. You _must_ tell him. He needs something to bring him back, and this may be the only thing that can do it."

Rey's sobs slowed as she stared at her former Master in shock. "But, how did you...when did you...How did you know?" Luke shrugged and smiled. "I think you see more blind than you ever did when you had eyes," she mumbled in awe.

Luke chuckled, "At least you're making jokes; that's an improvement. Obi-Wan often told me that the eyes can distract and deceive you; I suppose he was right."

Rey sighed, "I suppose waiting any longer would be foolish. I'll go talk to him."

"That's my girl," Luke said, smiling proudly. "You two should make sure she gets there safely." Finn and Poe glanced at each other, feeling very confused. They did as Luke asked, however, each wrapping a brotherly arm around Rey's waist for emotional support. At last, they reached the room Ben and Rey shared. "We're right next door if you need us, okay?" Finn's innocent face was a study of concern.

Rey nodded mutely and took a deep breath before she opened the door and walked in. Her eyes were drawn immediately to her left; Ben had moved to the armchair in the corner of the room; Tuk-Tuk was curled on their bed, staring dejectedly at the wall. "Ben? We need to talk." Ben made no response, or even acted as though he had noticed her presence. "Okay; I'll do the talking, then. You just listen. "She began to pace. "You were right, back on Kashyyk. I havebeen hiding something. I'm...pregnant, Ben." Rey stopped pacing to look at him; nothing. She grew angry, and her voice rose until she found that she was shouting, "Did you hear me?! I'm pregnant! We're having a baby. You're going to be a father; I need you, I can't do this alone. I'm so frightened, Ben. _SAY SOMETHING, DAMN YOU_!" Rey sank to her knees, sobbing.

She heard him suck in a breath and shift in the armchair, but she couldn't must the strength to look up. She heard him slowly walk to her; she sensed him standing in front of her, but she couldn't move. At last, she heard and felt him kneel beside her; his arms came up slowly, hesitantly, and wrapped around her. Rey gasped and flung herself sideways into his arms. He stroked her hair until she had stopped crying, then rose to find her a handkerchief. He gently cupped her chin and wiped her face free of tears before offering it to her so she could blow her nose. He sat back on his heels, watching her uncertainly.

"Pregnant?" He whispered, reverently. "I'm going to be a father?" Rey smiled weakly and nodded. "How long have you known?"

Rey looked down at her lap, "A couple of weeks. I knew you wouldn't let me fight if you'd known, and I wouldn't be without you. I meant to tell you after Kashyyk, but the time didn't seem right, and then you were so distant..." Tears threatened to overwhelm her again, so Ben pulled her towards him, drawing her tightly against his chest.

"I have been entirely consumed by my own grief and neglected you terribly. Forgive me, my Light. You should not have been forced to deal with this alone. Forgive me?"

Rey took Ben's face in her hands, tracing his scar with her thumbs, "Of course I forgive you, my Love. Let's go and tell our friends."

Ben nodded and stood, holding out his hands to help her to her feet. They opened the door, to find Finn and Poe standing on the other side, grinning like fools. "Then again," Ben said, beginning to smile for the first time in over a week, I think they may already know."

Finn and Poe threw their arms around the expectant parents, "You two need to learn that these walls aren't nearly as thick as you seem to think they are. That's not the first time we've overheard something we weren't supposed to. Honestly, I'm just surprised this hasn't happened sooner," teased Poe.

Rey blushed, and Ben cracked a real smile, "Well,we'd like to keep it quiet for a few weeks." Rey requested.

Ben nodded his agreement, "Though I suppose I'll have to tell my mother soon, won't I? Oh, hell, who am I kidding? She probably already figured it out! Which means, of course, that it'll be all over the planet by the end of tomorrow, if I know my mother." Ben smiled again, "Alright, we'll see her today. Ugh. Knowing her, she'll plan some damn party or other. I thought I had escaped my mother's obsessive need for party planning. Now she'll have an excuse for the rest of her natural life."

Rey giggled, "Well, at least you're making jokes; it's good to hear you making jokes again."

Ben grunted in assent, "It's good to be doing anything again," he observed wryly. Just then, they reached the doors of Leia's chambers; Ben punched the doorbell button, and heard a muffled "Enter!" from within. General Organa stood at a corner desk, pouring over sheaf after sheaf of paperwork. She half-turned to see who had entered and smiled, dropping the stack that she currently held in her hands. "Ah, four of my favorite people; what can I do for you? I won't lie; I'm surprised to see you out and about, Ben. Not that I'm complaining, mind; just surprised." Leia leaned against the table and spread her hands, "So, what's up?"

Rey nudged her husband forward to stand directly in front of his mother, where he stood staring at his hands and shuffling his feet. Rey giggled; she had never seen him so nervous. Finn and Poe looked at each other, then quickly away, snorting uncontrollably.

Leia glanced a the group of youngsters, slightly bemused. "Okay, I feel like I'm missing out on the joke of the year; what's going on?"

Ben cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Mother, Rey and I are...That is, Rey is...I mean, um," Ben took a deep breath, straightened, squared his shoulders, and looked his mother straight in the eye. "Mother, Rey and I are going to have a baby," he finally managed to say, in something of a rush.

Rey, Finn, and Poe dissolved into helpless giggles as they watched Leia's eyes grow wide with comprehension and her mouth pop open in a silent, "O". At last, she seemed to unfreeze as, with a distinctly un-Leia-like squeal, she threw her arms around Ben's neck, surprising an undignified "oomph!" out of him; Leia pulled her son down towards her and began noisily kissing every inch of his face she could reach.

Ben began struggling with a, "Eugh! Mother, what are you doing!? Stop it! Ah!" The three onlookers were, at this point, thoroughly overwhelmed by hysterical laughter as they watched Ben struggle against his mother, who was approximately half his size. As he attempted to unhook her hands from behind his neck, they heart him bellow, "Get off, Mom! Damn! For someone so frigging small, you are insanely strong!" At last, Ben broke free from his mother's grasp and bolted across the room, exclaiming, "Hah! You may be abnormally strong, but I'm still faster than you!" He threw himself down on his mother's bed, panting, joining in on the laughter, "Mom, I didn't know your voice could go that high!"

Leia stood staring at her son, her jaw slightly slack. "I don't think you've called me 'Mom' since you were a child. And now look at you; you're all grown up with a beautiful wife, about to become a father. You father would be so proud." Leia reached out and gave Rey a gentle squeeze.

"His fathe _r_ _is_ proud echoed Han's voice. Leia jumper in surprise as Han blinked into view. "Hey, sweetheart. Been a while." Rey, Finn, Poe, and Ben all started shuffling their feet simultaneously, drawing Leia's attention.

"What? You've talked to all of thembefore me?"

Han looked distinctly uncomfortable, "Well, yeah, kinda. But I knew you needed to move on in your own way, which a little birdie told me you did. I just didn't want to slow the process down any. I hope you can understand."

Leia sighed and shook her head at her husband, "Han, I will never love anyonethe way I love you. All that I've managed is to find companionship. You were the love of my life. That will never change. How could you ever think that I would be angry with you for doing what you think is right?"

Han smiled sadly, "Well, that's good to hear. As for you," he pointed at his son, "Youdamn near undid everything you've managed to build! You are so very much your idiot father's son at times. You're being given a hell of a chance, here, Kid. The Skywalker line has a long-running bad habit of raising their children without fathers." He started ticking off on his fingers, "Your grandfather, your mother, you, to an extent. Now, you are becoming a father. Listen to me, Ben; I don't think I could ever tell you anything more important than what I'm about to say: Don't make my mistakes. If you absolutely musthave adventures, take your family with 't run off without them; that's the biggest mistake I ever made. Your child will absolutely be Force-Sensitive, and powerful, too. Train thischild, and any other you might have. Train them so they don't have to be left alone. Do you understand me?" Han had come slowly closer to his son as he spoke, until he was inches from Ben's face.

Ben nodded, his eyes deep and perfectly serious. "Will I ever see you again?" Ben asked, a lump in his throat.

Han laughed, "Course you will, Kid! You're stuck with me for life. See you lot later, then." Han winked merrily as he faded from view.

Leia huffed out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. "Well. He always wasabrupt. I'd forgotten how much I missed him." Leia wiped a tear from her eye and cleared her throat. "I just have to remember that I will see him again. Well, you lot go away now. I have party planning to do!"

Ben groaned as he slumped out of his mother's room, "See? What'd I tell you? She's throwing yet another party at our expense! _Damn it_ , I hate parties!"

Rey giggled as she came up beside Ben and hooked her arm through his, "Oh, stop your whining. You know as well as I do that we all need an excuse to blow off some steam. Let's go find somewhere quiet, the four of us?"

Ben glanced back at Poe and Finn, who nodded. Ben shrugged in return, "Okay. Let's go." The four headed outdoors, being in no mood to stay indoors. They walked in silence towards the woods until Ben and Rey paused, laughing. Turning, the four saw Tuk-Tuk running, on all fours, pell-mell towards them. Ben braced himself as Tuk-Tuk launched himself into his Bond-Mate's arms. _Tuk-Tuk like outside! Tuk-Tuk miss trees_ _._ Ben reached back to scratch Tuk-Tuk behind the ears, "We'll just have to make sure we're outdoors more often, then, won't we?"Silence fell again when they found a lovely little stream winding through the trees; this, they followed until it passed through a beautiful meadow.

Tuk-Tuk launched from Ben's shoulder, racing for the trees and chittering at his fellows that were already inhabiting the trees. Ben and Rey laughed, sensing Tuk-Tuk's giddy excitement at playing with others of his kind. Ben sat with his back pressed against a tree, his right leg stretched in front of him, his left drawn up with his left arm draped lazily across his knee. Rey settled herself between his legs, with her head resting on his chest, playing with the fingers of his right hand. Finn and Poe sprawled untidily on the grass in a spot of pure sunlight. The four stayed silent, enjoying the peace of the day and watching Tuk-Tuk tumble and play with his fellows.

As the afternoon went on, Ben grew distant and sad again. Sensing the direction of his thoughts, Rey shifted to look up at him with concern on her face, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ben opened his mouth to say that no, he did not, but what actually came out was a sigh, followed by a slow nod. He stayed silent a moment as he gathered his thoughts, "I miss her. She was my twin, and this is a loss that I will fell for the rest of my days. I know I will see her again, and that is some small comfort. But I keep thinking back to her last moments, knowing that there could be no going back for her. Everyone thinks they know what happened between us out there, but there was so much more going on beneath the surface; her thoughts said so much more than she had time to speak." Ben had to stop for a moment and steady himself. He took a deep breath before continuing, "The Darkness had so completely consumed her by the end that she didn't even recognize herself anymore. I'll never forget the moment that I...ran her through," Ben shuddered at the memory, "She said 'Oh,' like she was surprised that I had done it. Right before her knees buckled, I feltthe Darkness leave her. She was grateful to have it end. In her last moments, Padme found herself again; she became Padmeagain. With her last breath, she told me she loved me, and she truly meant it. I could feel her remorse, and her shame. All I could do was hope she could feel my forgiveness and love." Ben's voice cracked on the last word, and he wiped a single tear from his cheek.  
At last, Ben felt as though a great weight was beginning to lift from his soul. The guilt that had come with ending his sister's life was finally beginning to abate. Ben leaned his head back to feel the sun warm his face as the cold knot of depression finally began to thaw and recede. "Feel better?" Rey asked, gazing lovingly up at him. Ben nodded quietly. Suddenly, Rey sat bolt upright with a startled, "Oh!" Ben was on his feel, light-sabers buzzing, in an instant, gazing fiercely around for the threat, but could find none. Confused, he looked back at Rey; her hands were pressed to her belly, and her eyes were wide with shock.

"What is it? Is there something wrong with..." Rey shook her head silently in a negative as she reached up to take Ben's hands as he clipped his light-sabers back on his belt. Kneeling beside her, he let her place his hands on the minuscule bump that had formed under her tunic. "Wha- I don't..." Ben stopped suddenly, his eyes popping wide with awe. Just as he had spoken, there had been two quick flutters under the skin of Rey's belly. "Was that...?" He asked quietly, reverently. Rey nodded, the same look of awe in her eyes. "It – The baby – it moved! Wow, that's just...woah. I can't believe it's...Holy shit..."

Poe and Finn had sprinted over when they heard Rey's cry. Now, they laughed, slightly in awe, themselves. "So, would it be really weird if we..." Finn asked hesitantly.

"No, of course not!" Rey answered. Finn and Poe knelt beside their friend, each placing a hand on one side of Rey's belly. For a moment, there was nothing; then, just as Ben laughed and pressed a kiss to Rey's hair, there were two more gentle flutters. They looked up, at the same time, sharing in their friends' wonder. "Woah," they echoed.

Ben laughed again as he stood, holding a hand out for Rey, "We should get back. I know I'm hungry, and if anything I've ever heard about pregnant women is true, then you must be as hungry as a Rancor. You, however, are infinitely more attractive," he added with a roguish wink.

Rey chuckled as she took his hand and stood, "Come on, Tuk-Tuk! We're leaving." _Coming_! Came the reply. Rey felt Tuk-Tuk lower himself out of a tree onto her shoulder, his tail swinging happily. This fun. Come back?Rey laughed, "Of course we can come back! Next time we come back, we may well have a baby with us, though." Laughing, the four walked back to the compound; Finn had an arm around Rey, and Poe had an arm around Ben.

"There's just one thing I want to know," wondered Finn, "What happened to the Darksaber?" Ben glanced at Finn, his brow furrowing in thought. The Darksaber had utterly vanished after the final battle. He dismissed the thought from his mind; it would turn up, eventually.

It took Leia two months to plan the lavish ball she had in mind, but she did it. Rey and Ben once again donned their fancy clothes and attended. This time, Ben was dressed in stark black to show his loss. Rey, however, was gowned in a beautiful gem-blue sheath; the waist was high, right below her bosom, and the skirt draped elegantly over the now-evident bump of her womb. It floated enchantingly down, ending just above her feet so she would not run the risk of tripping. On her feet were boots of a soft cream, as pregnant women have a notoriously hard time walking in heels. Everyone wanted to see them and wish them well, as well as offer condolences to Ben. Even Tuk-Tuk had broken out of his normal shyness to sit boldly on Ben's shoulder, telling war stories to anyone who would listen while his audience tried desperately not to laugh. They knew the little creature was perfectly serious, but it was just so cute!

One of Tuk-Tuk's stories went very much like this: _Tuk-Tuk in war. Bond-Mate tell Tuk-Tuk be safe, tell Tuk-Tuk stay out of trouble. Tuk-Tuk try. Tuk-Tuk- go to cliff. Tuk-Tuk find big rocks. Tuk-Tuk get good spot, throw rocks. Hit men in white armor. Men in armor not see Tuk-Tuk. Get confused. Men look around, good men shoot them. Tuk-Tuk not throw rocks at men in black. They know things. Would find Tuk-Tuk. So Tuk-Tuk throw at men in white. Tuk-Tuk laugh when Tuk-Tuk hit men in white. They funny and confused._

As Ben and Rey watched and listened to Tuk-Tuk's stories, Tyrnia came to stand beside them, "What would interest me," she said quietly, "is how one bonded to you. We call them Pri'ka. They are very wise, very smart. Quiet, though, and shy. How did you find one?"

Ben laughed, "we didn't really find him. He found us, really. It was like he chose us."

Tyrnia nodded, "This is their way. Bonding is very serious for them; he will live as long as you do. They Bond only once, and usually only _to_ one. This...double-Bond...very rare, it is; never been seen in mytime. Never will you find a more loyal creature; he will go where you go, and do as you do, and feel as you feel. Pri'ka are great omens of luck, and even fertility." Tyrnia chuckled with mischief in her eyes.

Ben laughed, "Yes, we've already discovered the depth of his bond. He's enjoying all the attention. He should be good for, oh, a year or two after this." The party wore on for many hours, but Rey soon grew tired from all the standing. Ben took her arm, they said their goodbyes, and went off to bed.

As the months went on, Rey's belly grew and grew as they came closer to the end of nine months. In the wee hours of the morning one cool, misty morning, Ben was brought to sudden wakefulness by a shocking, intense pain that jolted across their Force-Bond as Rey's first contraction tore through her. Ben was out of bed in an instant, helping Rey to her feet. As the second contraction hit, Rey screamed; the sound went straight to Ben's spine, flooding him with adrenaline. He supported her weight as they headed out the door towards the medbay. Finn and Poe came hurtling out of their room, half-dressed to help get Rey safely to the doctors.

They found the doors open and waiting, with a table all prepared. The Tagorian doctors scooped Rey gently up in their massive, clawed hands, being incredibly careful not to harm her. They laid her down on the table, propped up her feet, and began to work. Ben took her hand as the next contraction hit, a decision which he soon came to regret, as she squeezed it for all she was worth. Ben's faced contorted with pain, but stayed silent, feeling Rey's pain through their Bond.

"We need a push. The babies are trying to come. Push!" Rey pushed down, hard; her face turned red and the veins in her forehead stood out. She stopped, panting, waiting for the doctors to tell her to push again. When the command came again, she pushed again. Time blurred into pain and exhaustion as Rey struggled to stay conscious. At last, she felt the baby slide free, and the first cry of shock as the cold air hit the baby. "It's a girl!" came the shouts from the doctors. "Now, we need another push; her twin is next!" Rey paled, but pushed again, and the second child slid free. "It's a boy!" came the cry. "One more push to get the placenta out, and then you can rest." Rey pushed with her remaining strength and felt her stomach suddenly flatten as the placenta was removed.

She lifted her head weakly, "My babies. Where are they?"

"Shh," Ben comforted her as the doctors put a baby in each arm, "Here they are. They're beautiful, Rey. It's incredible. I'm so proud of you, my Light."

Ben sat gingerly on the side of the bed so that Rey could see their new twins. "The girl is Padme, after your sister. The boy is Finn, after my friend," Rey whispered.

"That's perfect," Ben said as he leaned in to kiss Rey's damp forehead. As Rey drifted off to sleep, Ben knew there was nothing more important than what was before him. He knew he could never bear to be parted from the family he had created; keeping his father's advice would be no trouble to him at all. "I love you, Rey." Ben gazed into the faces of his new children, his heart so full he thought it might burst.

The End

***Author's Note***

The Darksaber is still out there...do I smell a sequel!? Maaaayyybeeee...hahaha. There will be a sequel eventually; but first, I will be writing "Brotherly Bond", which is for Finn and Poe (and no, it's not a romance between them!) Thank you all for reading my story; I am flattered and touched at the response. Last I checked, I was nearly at 20k views! Thank you again, dear friends; until we meet again. May the Force be with you! ^_-


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